'Kidnapped by father's employee', Bengaluru boy rescued from UP village

Suspect held a grudge against his employer for humiliating him

A three-year-old boy said to be kidnapped by an employee of his father has been rescued by the Bengaluru police at Malakpur village of Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district. The boy’s parents, originally from Moradabad in UP, live in Bengaluru. The suspect hails from the same city.

Ibaad Rehmat, a painting contractor, had moved to Bengaluru 10 years ago and lives with his wife, daughter and son in Thanisandra.

Around 10 months ago, he employed Shamshad, also from Moradabad, as a painter in Bengaluru. Rehmat deployed him to paint the house of one of his customers, Ayub.

Shamshad did the job and took Rs 20,000 from Ayub, but gave only Rs 10,000 to Rehmat.

Rehmat grew suspicious and called up Ayub, asking him why he made the half payment. Ayub told him the truth. Rehmat confronted Shamshad and demanded an explanation. Shamshad got offended and decided to avenge the “humiliation”.

He didn’t go to work on April 11, saying he had taken ill. But he showed up at Rehmat’s house in the afternoon and took the latter’s two children out for buying them chocolate. He returned after sometime, dropped off the girl at the house but took the boy along. He then headed to the Yeshwantpur railway station and got on a Delhi-bound train.

Meanwhile, Rehmat realised that his son was missing. He went to the jurisdictional Hennur police and filed a complaint. Police found out that Shamshad had boarded a train that reaches Delhi via Davangere and Hubballi. They alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) but Shamshad could not be traced.

On April 13, Shamshad called up Rehmat and demanded a ransom of Rs 50,000 for his son’s release. Police traced his location, flew to Delhi and then drove to Malakpur. As part of a police ploy, Rehmat telephoned Shamshad to tell him that he would meet him in person in Malakpur and hand over the ransom.

With the help of the local police, Bengaluru cops hailed an auto to reach Shamshad’s place. But he grew suspicious at the sight of policemen in plain clothes, abandoned the child and fled the spot. The boy was later handed over to his parents. The UP police are searching for Shamshad.