Thane, Maharashtra (June 26, 2025): A 26-year-old man has confessed to kidnapping a four-and-a-half-year-old girl from Badlapur, citing a dispute with her family as the motive behind the act. The accused, Ranjit Dhurve, was arrested within 24 hours from Madhya Pradesh, according to Thane Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Amar Singh Jadhav.
Police said the accused had intentions of harming the child. He lured the girl with chocolates and took her away in an autorickshaw on June 24. A case was filed at the Badlapur West Police Station under charges of kidnapping with wrongful intent.
Given the gravity of the incident, Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch for a parallel inquiry. Under the guidance of Ulhasnagar DCP Sachin Gore and DCP Amar Singh Jadhav, a team tracked the suspect using CCTV footage that showed him heading toward the railway station with the girl in an autorickshaw.
The accused was detained in Madhya Pradesh on the evening of June 25. Police said Ranjit works as a labourer at a construction site and resides in the same locality as the girl’s family. He had an argument with the family a day before the incident and allegedly acted out of anger.
Authorities are also investigating whether Ranjit had any additional motives behind the kidnapping.