Pune: The Pune police arrested a woman and her sister yesterday after she claimed her son was kidnapped, when in fact, this was a ruse to hide their deal over the kid.
The infant was rescued and handed over to his father
Police said the woman, Archana Mukesh Sonawane, (26), a resident of Kothrud, struck a deal to sell her son to her sister, Savita Sonaji Sankpal, (28), for R2 lakh and some gold jewellery. She cooked up a kidnapping story to hide this from her husband.
On Wednesday Archana approached the Kothrud police station alleging that an unidentified person in an SUV grabbed her infant and fled. Accordingly the police registered a case of kidnapping and the investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch’s Anti Extortion cell.
The investigation
Inspector Ganpatrao Pingale who is investigating the case said, “Archana had delivered a boy two months back. She had made a deal with her childless sister, Savita, who is a resident of Sambhajinagar in Ahmednagar, for gold ornaments and Rs 2 lakh cash. On Wednesday Archana approached us alleging that a masked man snatched her child near Paud.”
API Vitthal Shelar said, “We inspected CCTV footage in the area where she claimed the kidnapping took place but did not find anything. Later when we grilled Archana she revealed everything. Another team went to Ahmednagar and zeroed in on Savita. But the boy was not with her. They had kept the child with a person named Bhima More. Savita was to pay the amount to her a month later when everything cooled down.”
Father relieved
The infant was handed over to Archana’s husband Mukesh Sonawane and her mother-in-law. Mukesh said, “I did not know that my wife could sell my child for R2 lakh. Stringent action must be taken against her. Doesn’t she have any feelings?”
