Pune, Maharashtra (July 30, 2025): A two-year-old girl who was kidnapped from the Wonder City slum area in Katraj for the purpose of begging has been rescued safely by the Bharati Vidyapeeth Police and Crime Branch Unit 2. Police have arrested five people, including one woman, and uncovered a gang involved in abducting children to use them for begging. Those arrested have been identified as Sunil Sitaram Bhosale (51) a labourer from Motizhara, Tuljapur in Dharashiv district; Shankar Ujanya Pawar (50); Shalubai Prakash Kale (45); Ganesh Babu Pawar (35), all residents of Dikmal Pardhi Vasti, Tuljapur and Mangal Harful Kale (19) a resident of Range Hill Khadki Railway Line Slum, Khadki.
According to police, the child was abducted from the Wonder City slum during the night of July 25 while she was asleep. A case was registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station. Two special teams were formed by the station to search for the child, and Crime Branch Unit 2 also launched an investigation.
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The teams checked CCTV footage from Katraj to Pune railway station. The footage showed two men and a woman taking the child on a two-wheeler toward Pune railway station. Further checks at the railway station revealed that two more suspects were also present with the group. With this footage, police were able to clearly identify the faces of the accused.
Based on the footage, police identified the suspects and traced them to Tuljapur. The teams from Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station and Crime Branch Unit 2, led by Police Sub-Inspector Mokashi and Assistant Police Inspector Kavathekar, reached Tuljapur with assistance from the Dharashiv Local Crime Branch.
After conducting a detailed search, the police detained the suspects. During questioning, they confessed to kidnapping the child for begging. The police safely rescued the girl from their custody and reunited her with her family. Further investigation is underway.