One accused arrested within 72 hours, accomplice still absconding
A major development has emerged in the kidnapping case of four-year-old Keshav from Pannu Vihar in Jalandhar’s Basti Bawa Khel area, with police alleging that the accused had planned to sell the child for ₹1 lakh.
According to DCP Aditya Warrior, one accused has been arrested within 72 hours of the incident, while his alleged accomplice is still absconding. The arrested accused has been identified as Rajat Rattu alias Rocky, son of late Ramesh Lal, a resident of Adampur.
₹20,000 advance allegedly taken
During interrogation, police allegedly found that the accused had planned to sell Keshav for ₹1 lakh and had already received an advance payment of ₹20,000.
Police said the accused could not execute their alleged plan because of the extensive checking and naka arrangements put in place across the city following the child’s kidnapping. They allegedly abandoned Keshav near the bus stand and fled.
Accomplice Prince still absconding
Police said Rajat was arrested from his village at around 5 am. His alleged accomplice, identified as Prince, is still on the run.
The investigation has also identified people who were allegedly involved in the planned sale of the child, and they have been named in the case, according to police.
Police said preliminary questioning suggests that this was the accused's first such crime. Rajat is reportedly a driver by profession.
Clothes allegedly recovered after kidnapping
Investigators have also recovered the clothes that the accused allegedly changed after kidnapping the child.
According to the police, after the kidnapping, the accused allegedly left Keshav with people known to them before the child was later abandoned near the bus stand.
Police will present Rajat before the court and seek his remand for further questioning. Investigators are expected to question him about why Keshav was allegedly targeted and to establish the role of the other people named in the case.
What actually happened?
A 4-year-old child was allegedly abducted in broad daylight from a street near Leather Complex Road in Jalandhar on Thursday afternoon and the incident falls under the jurisdiction of Basti Bawa Khel Police Station and led to a police investigation and a city-wide alert.
According to the child’s mother, Shanu, the incident took place at around 1:45 PM in Kunj Gali, she said her child was playing in the street when two youths arrived on an Activa scooter, took the child and fled from the area.
