Jaipur, Oct 21 A 34-year-old man was arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district for allegedly abducting a 22-month-old boy from Rajasthan’s Kotputli-Behror district with the intention of performing a human sacrifice, police said on Wednesday.
The child was rescued safely, and further investigation is underway, they said.
The accused, identified as Vivek Kumar Kushwaha, a resident of Sasaram in Bihar’s Rohtas district, was arrested after the child was rescued from a Kali temple in Kavar village near Mathura’s Kosi Kalan.
According to preliminary investigations, Kushwaha had turned to superstition following personal setbacks, including separation from his wife and unsuccessful relationships, and allegedly believed that sacrificing a child would help him attain supernatural powers.
Jaipur Range Inspector General of Police Rahul Prakash said Kushwaha allegedly kidnapped Krishna while he was playing outside his house on October 18.
The accused travelled through several locations for nearly 50 hours, searching for a secluded temple where he could allegedly sacrifice the child, police said.
The child was rescued after a local sadhu heard him crying inside the temple and alerted police. When questioned, Kushwaha initially claimed to be the child’s father, they said.
However, verification of his motorcycle revealed that it had been stolen from Shahpura, raising suspicion.
Neemrana SHO Surendra Yadav said eight police teams were formed following the kidnapping, and footage from around 300 to 350 CCTV cameras was examined to trace the accused.
Police said the accused had travelled through Shahjahanpur, Bawal, Rewari and Faridabad before reaching Mathura.
A brass trident, a packet of wheat, bangles and two metal rings were recovered from his possession. The child was allegedly found seated on a ritual platform inside the temple.
The IG said Uttar Pradesh police personnel involved in the rescue would be awarded commendation certificates for their alertness.
(PTI News)
