The police in Punjab’s Barnala Monday claimed to have cracked the case of the kidnapping of a two-year-old child from the slums behind the grain market in the city within three days with the arrest of all nine accused. Among those arrested are Ravinder Kaur, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) based in Ludhiana; self-styled doctor Vikas Tiwari, who runs a hospital; Kaur’s son Kohinoor Singh; Damanpreet Singh; and Aditya. Damanpreet and Aditya were involved in an Rs 8 crore cash management firm robbery in Ludhiana in June 2023 and have been out on bail since January 12, 2024. The other accused who were arrested include Manav Arora, Davinder Singh, Rohit, and Dashrath, who was booked in another case of kidnapping a child in Madhya Pradesh. All were produced in court and remanded to police custody for three days. Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Patiala Range, confirmed the arrests. “The case of child abduction was reported on April 4 when Veena Devi, the wife of Dharvinder Kumar and a resident of Malda Bindriya in Bihar’s Sheikhpura, currently living in the slums near the grain market reported her two-year-old son missing." Sidhu said the police tracked down and arrested the accused through CCTV footage analysis, technical investigation, and human intelligence. The police said their investigation also took them to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to track the accused. "The child was eventually taken to a private healthcare facility in Mundian Khurd, Ludhiana, where Ravinder Kaur and Vikas Tiwari were planning to sell him,” said Sidhu. The police said Ravinder Kaur, ASHA, allegedly confessed that she planned to sell the child to a childless couple through Tiwari for Rs 2 lakh. Mohammad Sarfaraz Alam, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), said they acted swiftly and successfully cracked the case. The child was handed over to his parents Monday morning. Modus operandi According to the police, the accused allegedly kidnapped the child on a motorbike, transferred him into a car, and took him to Ludhiana to Vikas Tiwari’s hospital. The police said Kohinoor Singh, Aditya, and Damanpreet Singh played key roles in executing the plan. Manav Arora and Damanpreet Singh kidnapped the child from Anaj Mandi, Barnala on a motorbike, and handed him over to Kohinoor Singh and Davinder Singh, who took him to Ludhiana. Sidhu said they also traced a few locations in Rajasthan, and sent a team to the state. A team also went to Madhya Pradesh. In a joint operation, the Punjab and Madhya Pradesh Police nabbed Davinder, Rohit, and Dashrath Singh from Suwasara in MP’s Mandsaur. Damanpreet Singh (alias Aman alias Phooli), Aditya (alias Nanni), Manav Arora, Ravinder Kaur, and Vikas Tiwari were arrested in Ludhiana. The Barnala police said when they reached Suwasara, they found the accused had set up a place for some ritual, which they suspect to be associated with the occult. They added the kidnapper had shaved the child’s head, which investigators believe might be linked to the "tantrik setup". The police also recovered a motorbike and a Honda Amaze car using technical input. The Punjab Police announced cash rewards and promotions for the investigating officers. Additionally, they said officers would sponsor the child’s education in the best school in Barnala until Class 10. The core investigation team included Sandeep Singh Mand, Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Barnala, Satvir Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sub-Division), Barnala, Inspector Baljit Singh, In-charge CIA Staff, Barnala, Inspector Lakhwinder Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) City, Barnala, and ASI Charanjit Singh, In-charge Bus Stand Police Post, Barnala. A case was registered under Sections 140(3) and 111(2)(II) of the BNSS at the City Barnala Police Station.
