Neemrana: A 22-month-old boy who was allegedly kidnapped while playing outside his home in the Neemrana area of Rajasthan's Kotputli-Behror district on October 18 has been rescued safely from a Kali temple in Kavar village near Kosi Kalan in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, and the accused has been arrested, police said. The rescue came within about 40 hours of the abduction, The Times of India reported.

Source: The Times of India

According to Kotputli-Behror Superintendent of Police Satveer Singh, police received information about the child's disappearance on the afternoon of October 18 and formed eight teams under Additional SP Suresh Khinchi and DSP Yadav. The teams examined footage from more than 350 CCTV cameras, and one clip showed the child being taken away on a motorcycle by an unidentified man, after which the teams tracked the accused's movements towards Uttar Pradesh, News Chakra reported in Hindi.

Source: News Chakra

What is solid

  • A 22-month-old boy was allegedly kidnapped while playing outside his home in Neemrana on October 18, according to Kotputli-Behror police (The Times of India; News Chakra; Bhilwara Halchal).
  • Eight police teams examined footage from more than 350 CCTV cameras during the search (police, via News Chakra and Bhilwara Halchal).
  • The child was rescued safely in the Kosi Kalan area of Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, about 40 hours after the abduction, and one accused was arrested (police, via all three reports).

What is only claimed

  • Police allege the accused intended to sacrifice the child to gain 'supernatural powers' and fulfil personal desires — this is a police allegation based on questioning, not a proved fact.
  • Early reports said police were still questioning the accused to confirm the motive; the investigation is continuing.

Police identified the arrested accused as Vivek Kumar Kushwaha, 34, a native of Sasaram in Bihar's Rohtas district. Superintendent of Police Satveer Singh said on Thursday that the accused had allegedly become deeply influenced by superstition and had allegedly been planning for almost four months to kidnap and sacrifice an infant, The Times of India reported. Police said a trishul and ritual items were recovered from the accused, and that he allegedly first tried to abduct a child in the Dargah Bazaar area of Ajmer, stole a motorcycle from Ajmer's Clock Tower area, and allegedly stole another bike on the way to Neemrana after the first ran out of fuel. Officials also said there was a prior theft case against him in Bihar. All of these are police allegations that remain to be proved.

Source: The Times of India

Police said the accused allegedly told investigators he had been depressed for more than a year — again, a claim reported from questioning, not an established finding. The child was rescued safely and reunited with his family, police said. Awaaz Punjab is not naming the child because he is a minor, and will update this story as the investigation proceeds.