AC repairman & dog trainer, who lost job due to COVID-19, kidnap child

Photo for representational purpose

An AC repairman and a dog trainer have been arrested by Faridabad police for allegedly abducting an 11-year-old child earlier this week. Police said the two committed the crime in the hope of making some ‘quick money' as their jobs were hit during the COVID-19 lockdown.

As per a report in The Indian Express, police identified the accused as Sonu, a resident of Delhi's Kalyanpuri, and Aman, a resident of Gazipur. The former worked as a dog trainer and the latter repaired ACs. The accused, police said, are childhood friends.

"During questioning, the men said their work had slowed down during the lockdown, and they hatched a plan to make some quick money by abducting a child and demanding ransom. Sonu already knew the victim's mother, who sells and purchases dogs and puppies, and from whom he would often get puppies for training. It was his idea to abduct her 11-year-old son," said DCP (Central) Mukesh Malhotra.

On October 13, police said the duo abducted the child from Sector 91 on their scooter while he was out to buy milk, around 6 pm. He was then taken to a hotel in Gazipur and held for the next three days.

The child's mother approached police when he didn't return and an FIR was registered at Palla police station under IPC section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person) the following day.

"When CCTV footage from cameras installed near the family's home was retrieved, the complainant recognised one of the accused, Sonu, and said she had known him for the last three years. She gave his mobile number to police, who found he lived in Kalyanpuri. When a team was sent to his home, however, it was found that he had not been to his house for the last three days," said the DCP.

"His relatives gave the team the mobile number of a friend of his, who helped them track him down and recover the child. Although Aman was not at the hotel at the time, he was arrested later on the basis of information provided by Sonu. The two men were arrested before they made the ransom call," said the DCP.

The child has been reunited with his family. Police said the accused have been produced in court and remanded in police custody.

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