Karnit Shah kidnappers got his father’s number from posters to trace boy

“The kidnappers did not even know whose kid they had kidnapped. It was only after four days,when two of the kidnappers returned to Mumbai and witnessed the panic in the locality did they find out that Karnit was Anant Shah’s son. Anant told us that Karnit did not remember his mobile number. Due to this,the kidnappers could not even get the number from Karnit,” said an officer from Kandivali police station on condition of anonymity.

Police officers said it was only on April 17 that the kidnappers got Anant’s number from the posters put up in the area which said Karnit was missing and had the mobile phone numbers of Anant and his relatives on them.

The kidnappers then made the first ransom call to Anant,demanding Rs 1 crore if he wanted his son alive. The cops traced the call to Malad and identified delivery boy Sameer Usman Khan (22) as the caller. Investigators learnt that the SIM card was registered in milkman Lalji Yadav’s name,but the money and other documents required to purchase the card had been provided by Sohan Singh Gupta (30),the owner of a cake shop in the area. The police nabbed Yadav who “broke down” and spilled the beans on the kidnapping plot.

Police sources on Thursday also revealed that Yadav has been made an approver in the case,who will testify against the other accused.

The Shahs received the third ransom call on April 18,which was traced to Allahabad. Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik sent a police team to the city and with the help of the UP Special Task Force and the local police,traced the kidnapper to a village in Handiya. Early on Wednesday,the police raided autorickshaw driver Surjit Singh Bindth’s (25) house and found Karnit unharmed. “At first we got scared seeing the publicity of Karnit’s kidnapping on Facebook and posters,” added the officer.

The police have arrested four persons in the case — delivery boys Khan and Sandeep Dattaram Boruse (30),cake shop owner Gupta and autorickshaw driver Bindth. “The accused were produced in court on Thursday and have been remanded in police custody till May 3,” said senior police inspector H Pimple of Kandivali police station

Meanwhile,Karnit and his family went to meet state Home Minister R R Patil at Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday,where they announced a Rs 1 lakh reward for the police team that rescued him. “We are extremely happy,the society is lit up with smiles and cheers. It is like déjà vu of India’s World Cup victory,” said Anant.

He added that Karnit is not scared and is meeting people. “Although Karnit is not scared,he is tired after the day’s schedule and celebrations. More than me,I think my neighbours are even more delighted to get Karnit back,” said Anant.