Mumbai: In a swift operation carried out by the Thane railway police, a two-year-old boy, kidnapped from nearby KEM Hospital, was rescued in several hours from the clutches of the abductor, while he was fleeing on the Tutari Express. The accused, Amol Udalekar, 42, had befriended the child’s family during their stay outside the hospital and later took the boy along on the pretext of a stroll, said the police.

According to the FIR, the child’s mother Antima was admitted to the ICU of KEM Hospital due to respiratory issues. Her husband, Ajaykumar Harijan, 25, who hails from Shastrinagar, Surat, and currently resides in Bhiwandi, was staying with his mother and two children, in an open area near the hospital’s old building.

On the night of September 16 around 9.30pm, Harijan discovered that his two-yearold son was missing when he returned after visiting his wife. His mother informed him that a man, who had been frequently playing with the child over the past few days, had offered them a food parcel and taken the child away on the pretext of a stroll. Despite searching the hospital and surrounding areas, the child could not be located, prompting Harijan to file a complaint at the Bhoiwada police station.

According to the police, Udalekar was nabbed following a tip-off – received by the railway control room at CSMT – reporting a suspicious man traveling with a child in S-2 coach of the Tutari Express, which runs between Dadar and Sawantwadi. Acting promptly under the guidance of senior inspector Archana Dusane, a team, comprising officers Dhumale, Tajne, head constable Gopal, and constable Tichkule, apprehended the suspect late night at the Thane station.

During interrogation, it was confirmed that the child had been kidnapped from the premises of KEM Hospital earlier that evening. A case had already been registered against Udalekar under section 137(2) [related to kidnapping] of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and he has been handed over to the Bhoiwada police for further probe. Following the rescue, the child underwent a medical examination and was then placed under the care of the Janani Ashish Charitable Trust in Dombivli.

Investigation revealed that Udalekar had planned to flee to his native village in Sindhudurg. Police are currently probing his background and motive behind the abduction.

Mumbai: The Bangur Nagar police booked an employee of Bajaj Allianz for allegedly cheating a 69-year-old customer out of Rs. 6.94 lakh on the pretext of offering her a pension scheme. The case was registered on September 17. The accused has been identified as Ashish Tiwari, 34, a representative of the firm who resides in Vikhroli West.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Lalita Malhotra, 69, resides in Malad West and teaches classes from second to eighth standard. Her daughter is married and also resides in Malad West, while her son lives abroad. In December 2023, she purchased a five-year policy from Bajaj Allianz Finance. The insurance office is located in Sion. She visited the office and paid her first instalment of Rs. 61,350 via cheque.

In January 2024, Ashish Tiwari called her from the insurance company and requested her to pay the second instalment. She told him that she wanted to close the policy and asked for her money to be returned. Tiwari told her that the policy bonus was due and that her policy value had increased. He further assured her that if she paid the remaining instalments, she would start receiving a pension from November 2024. Trusting him, she was provided a demand letter and transferred a total of Rs. 7.94 lakh to the Google Pay number he provided, in various instalments from May 2024 to February 2025.

Later, she, along with her daughter, visited the insurance office at Andheri East and discovered that while Tiwari was an employee of the company, he had taken the money into his personal account. He returned a small portion of the amount but did not return Rs. 6.94 lakh. She subsequently filed a complaint with the Bangur Nagar police. The police registered the case under Sections 316(2), 316(5) (criminal breach of trust), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Mumbai: A Class 7 student from Vibgyor Roots and Rise, an international school in Malad, reportedly suffered a spinal injury after classmates gave him birthday bumps inside the classroom. The incident occurred on the child’s birthday, leaving what was meant to be a celebration turning into a serious accident. The school’s response was unavailable.

According to the parents, one of the classmates gave the child birthday bumps with such force that it led to a serious spinal injury. The boy was taken for medical attention, where it was confirmed damage to his spinal cord.

The boy’s parents claim that they approached the school administration but received no response. Left with no option, they went to the local police station at Bangur Nagar to lodge a complaint. But they alleged that when the police authorities visited the school, the matter was downplayed and never followed up.

The parents have demanded responsibility from the school for not averting such accidents as well as for keeping silent after the injury. They also stressed that traditions like birthday bumps need to be controlled strictly to avoid similar incidents in the future. The parents stated that they will wait for a week for the management’s response after which they will decide their course of action.

The accident has also raised concerns from parents about the security of students in the school premises and the need for more strict monitoring of such informal celebrations.