Boy kidnapped after evening prayers near Mumbai, killed, Rs 23 lakh lost

Lord:

In Thane, Maharashtra, a 9-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed by a local tailor as he walked out of the local mosque after evening prayers. He was put into a sack and hidden in the latter’s backyard.

A series of gruesome incidents took place in Gorgaon village in Thanebhadrapur on Sunday night. According to police, the main accused Salman Maulvi wanted money to build a new house. Salman, a tailor living in the same neighbourhood, hatched the plan to kidnap Ibad for a ransom of Rs 23 lakh. The motive behind the heinous act was reportedly to fund the construction of homes.

When Ibad failed to return home after evening prayers, his family began a frantic search after realizing he was missing. Their worst fears are confirmed when Ibad’s father, Mudasir, receives a chilling phone call demanding a hefty ransom for his son’s safe return. However, the call ended abruptly without any details being revealed.

When villagers discovered that Ibad was missing, a dual search operation was launched. While the police launched a comprehensive search and combed through every clue, the villagers united to find the missing boy. Feeling increasing pressure, the kidnappers tried to evade capture by changing SIM cards in their phones.

On Monday afternoon, police traced the location of Salman’s residence. What they discovered shocked the entire community – Ibad’s body was in a sack and ruthlessly hidden behind the house.

Dr DS Swami, Superintendent of Police, Thane, said: “After the kidnapping, we received a ransom call. The accused is in our custody. The motive for the murder of the child is under investigation.”

In addition to Salman, his brother Safyan Maulvi was also arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder. Bhadrapur senior police officer Govind Patil said an FIR has been registered and while Salman has been identified as the prime suspect, investigation is on to ascertain whether others, including family members, participated in this brutal crime.