Man held for abducting boy, 11, after marriage proposal for elder sister turned down

A four-day chase to rescue an 11-year-old boy kidnapped by a man whose marriage proposal for his elder sister was allegedly turned down by her family ended on Friday at Azadpur Flyover in Delhi with the arrest of the accused, said officers.

Identified as Dharam Pal, 26, the accused allegedly consumed poison in an attempt to evade arrest as a team of officers from Jahangirpuri Police station were closing in to apprehend him. He was immediately taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital for medical treatment, said police.

The 11-year-old went missing on August 31. His family said he left home for school but did not return. Officers said the child’s mother then allegedly received a call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as Dharam Pal, who was known to the family, and told her that the boy was with him.

The investigation later revealed that Dharam Pal wanted to marry the boy’s sister. However, she and the family had turned down the proposal. Investigators claim Dharam Pal kidnapped her younger brother in an attempt to force the family to agree to his demand.

Following the complaint, an FIR under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in the kidnapping case was registered at Jahangirpuri police station. “A team comprising ASI Ashok Kumar and ASI Suraj Bhan was tasked with tracing the child and identifying the accused’s movements.

Police said the team used technical inputs as well as field investigation to develop leads on the whereabouts of the accused and the child,” said a police officer. The trail eventually led the investigators towards Loni in Ghaziabad.

The police team followed the leads and continued the pursuit as the accused moved towards Delhi. On Friday, after a prolonged chase, the team intercepted the accused near Azadpur Flyover. The child was rescued safely, said officers.

Officers credited the prompt response, sustained technical investigation and field efforts of the Jahangirpuri team for locating the child and apprehending the accused. The investigation into the circumstances of the kidnapping and the alleged threats to the family is continuing, said police.