Mumbai: Two persons were arrested in Mumbai on Thursday for stealing a two-month-old baby within 12 hours of the crime being committed. The accused, identified as one Mohammad Hanif Shaikh and his wife, was tracked down using CCTV footage of the area, said police officials.
The incident occurred late on Wednesday night when the child was sleeping with its parents on the road near St Xavier's High School in the city's Fort area. The police complaint was lodged by the parents when they were unable to find their child, following which an FIR was registered against unknown persons in the Azad Maidan Police Station under IPC section 363.
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Eight different police teams were constituted to probe the incident. While addressing the media, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar hailed the efforts of related police personnel. "It is a serious incident, and we have learnt that this is not the first time that the accused have done something like this," he said.
"While there have been previous instances of rumours (pertaining to children being kidnapped), this was clearly not a rumour. The accused have been arrested, and the child has been handed over to the parents," he added.
Shaikh, a pesticide seller in Mira Bhayandar in the neighbouring Thane district, meanwhile, revealed that they were planning to sell the child.
