Bhubaneswar: A one-and-a-half-year-old baby boy kidnapped from his visually-challenged mother's lap from outside Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar was rescued in Balasore, Odisha, within just three days of the abduction, thanks to swift action by the police following intervention of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Strangely, after the inhumane act, the prime accused's guilt drove him to Puri Srimandir where he prayed for forgiveness before Lord Jagannath.
The police claimed to have cracked the case following arrest of the prime accused from Puri and his female accomplice from Balasore.
What Police Said
Commissionerate Police revealed that the main accused, Kedarsen Panda, abducted the baby when the mother, a beggar, was sitting outside Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar. After this, he took the baby to Balasore by train, and handed him over to the accused woman. To keep the baby's identity in disguise, the accused gave him a new look, cut off his long bangs and dressed him in girl's clothes.
However, Police verified CCTV footages and other vital clues which helped them track the baby. The infant was safely rescued from the woman's house in Gopalpur area of Balasore.
During the raid, police found that the accused woman had two daughters and a son in their house. She was associated with a Jatra troupe while her husband was working in Bengaluru. "She kept the baby at her house and cut off his bangs. Fearing that someone would recognise the child, she dressed him in girl's clothes," police said.
While the motive behind the crime is still not clear, Police said Kedarsen had been planning the kidnapping for the last six months. "He (Kedarsen) was previously working as a security guard at an apartment in Pahala police station area. At that time, he became friends with another security guard, who happens to be a close friend of the woman's husband who stays in Bengaluru. After coming in contact with the woman, the accused got to know that she had two daughters and a son. However, she was often worried because of her son's kidney ailments. The accused had therefore been keeping an eye on the child of this visually-impaired mother for six months to steal him for the accused woman. Once he found the circumstances convenient, he abducted the child from his mother's lap by luring him with biscuits. Outside the temple, she was left with her elder daughter, who was too little to realise what was transpiring," stated Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh.
"An investigation is underway to find out if this kidnapping was just for the sake of money or part of a bigger crime like child trafficking," Singh added.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to the crime and revealed before police that he went to Puri Jagannath temple to seek forgiveness for the crime he had committed. But he had no idea that police were already tracking him. As per reports, he was arrested from near Singhadwar of Jagannath temple.
CM Majhi Intervened
After the child theft incident came to the notice of CM Majhi, the CM ordered immediate action by senior police officers. As per the instructions, the Chief Minister's Office monitored the probe every day and ensured that justice is served to the divyang mother.
The CMO said, "Child theft is a serious issue in our country. Thousands of parents have been left in lifelong grief, which is unimaginable. Last Sunday, a one-and-a-half-year-old child was stolen from her mother's lap from outside Ram Temple in Bhubaneswar. After CM heard about it, CMO immediately informed senior officials and sought urgent action. We are glad that the child has been safely rescued and returned to her mother in just three days."
For the baby's mother, happiness knew no bounds when she held her child after 70 hours of trauma. "My baby cried when he saw me. I recognised him by the touch. I had put a locket around his neck, it's there. I will forever be grateful to Commissionerate Police for bringing my child back to me," she said, tightly holding both her kids.
Meanwhile, interrogation of both Kedarsen and the other woman is underway, to elicit more information from them and ascertain if more people are involved in this child theft case.
