Man kidnaps infant from Delhi for relative seeking male child; arrested in Rajasthan

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) Delhi Police has arrested a man from Khetri in Rajasthan, who kidnapped an infant from central Delhi with the intention of handing the child over to a relative seeking a male child in exchange for financial gains, officials said on Thursday.

The infant has been rescued safely and reunited with his mother, while the accused, identified as Jitender Kumar (32), has been taken into custody, DCP (Central) Nidhin Valsan said.

The incident was reported on August 19 when the child's mother, a resident of Chennai, arrived in Delhi by train with her child to meet a relative.

She told police that Kumar befriended her during the journey, spoke to her for nearly two hours, and won her trust.

"According to the complaint, the man offered to accompany her to her relative's house. On the way, he stopped at a garment shop, gave her Rs 150, and asked her to buy a dress for the child with whom he waited outside. When she came out, the child and the accused were missing," the DCP said.

Police scanned nearly 100 CCTV camera footage and used an Artificial Intelligence-based facial recognition system (FRS) to identify the accused.

After tracking his movement, Kumar was traced to his native village in Rajasthan's Khetri with the help of local police, the DCP said.

Accrodingly, a police team arrested Kumar from Khetri and rescued the child, he added.

During interrogation, Kumar disclosed that one of his relatives, who did not have a male child, asked him to arrange for a baby boy in return for money, the officer added. PTI SSJ APL ARI