Mumbai: 19-year-old woman, friend held for kidnapping minor girl

The accused woman Alia alias Tarannum Sheikh.

The Mumbai crime branch recently arrested a 19-year-old woman and her 22-year-old friend for kidnapping a one-year-old girl from Vidyavihar.

According to the police, the accused woman Alia alias Tarannum Sheikh, has a history of kidnapping cases registered against her. She was also arrested in 2015 for abducting a seven-year-old. Police said Tarannum was then sent to a rehabilitation centre for minors in Byculla, but in 2018, when she turned into an adult, she was released.

Police said the incident took place at Ambedkar Naka, when Sakina Shaikh, the mother of the minor Aamina, was buying vegetables. "Aamina was standing near Shaikh, when Tarannum picked her up and fled in an autorickshaw. Shaikh started looking for Aamina, but could not find her. She then informed the Tilak Nagar police and a case of kidnapping was registered under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," a police officer said.

The crime branch then procured CCTV footage of nearby areas and spotted the accused woman. They then received a tip off that the woman's friend Ratan Bhosle, also an accused, stays in Mumbai Central. The crime branch team arrested the two accused just when they were about to board the train and rescued the child.

Police said Tarannum begs on the streets for a living and Bhosle helped her in kidnapping the child.

"We are ascertaining where she was going, whether she was in touch with other people involved in child trafficking or using minors for begging," said Akbar Pathan, DCP, Mumbai Crime Branch.

Aparna Joshi, senior PI, crime branch, unit 6, said that they are checking if the accused woman has a previous record of child kidnapping, especially after she was released from the children's remand home.

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