Thane: Police rescued a 16-year-old boy within four days and arrested three persons accused of kidnapping the boy in Gujarat under the pretext of Ganpati darshan. The kidnappers, known to the boy, had demanded a ransom of Rs 12 lakh from his mother. After a four-day operation, police reunited the boy with his family.The boy, a resident of Vangani area in Badlapur, had travelled to his father’s native village in Gujarat on Sept 1 to witness Ganpati celebrations. During his visit, he informed some acquaintances from Madosa village in Badlapur, who lured him with the promise of taking him for Ganpati darshan in their car. Instead, they abducted him and took him to a secluded forest area.The accused later called his mother, demanding Rs 12 lakh for his release. Terrified, she rushed to Kulgaon police station and lodged a complaint.Recognizing the seriousness of the case, police inspector Govind Patil immediately dispatched two teams to Gujarat. With assistance from the local police, Kulgaon police began probing in the village. On learning that police had arrived, the accused panicked and abandoned the boy at a bus stop the next morning before fleeing.Through technical surveillance, the police later tracked and arrested the three accused—identified as Laxman Khair, Naresh Khair, and Anil Khair—from near Rajasthan border.Meanwhile, fearing he might be captured again, the boy switched off his mobile phone and travelled alone for three days before reaching his uncle’s house in Chalisgaon. Police eventually traced him through technical investigation and safely reunited him with his mother in Badlapur.Inspector Patil said that the kidnapping was driven purely by greed for money.
