THANE: Two auto drivers were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old Jabalpur girl after she arrived at Thane station last week after running away from home apparently following some dispute, police officials said on Tuesday evening.
Quaiser Khalid, Mumbai railway police commissioner, said the girl had alighted at Thane station from Pawan express in the wee hours of January 13 and exited the station premises where two auto drivers Gaurav Pande, a resident of Kalwa and Mohd Siddiqui, a resident of Rabodi approached her and allegedly drove her to Diva.
“The duo took the unsuspecting girl to a relative’s place in Diva,” informed NG Khadkikar, senior inspector at the Thane railway police.
Meanwhile, the girl’s family approached the Thane police with her photo following which a team comprising PSI Pandurang Gosavi, PI Bagul Sandeep, head constable Vijay Bagle, Sandip Kale, police naik Kshitij Koyande and constable Chandrakant Patil promptly accessed the CCTV footage of the station and the platform where had alighted.
“The footage showed the girl exiting platform 2 where she was later accosted by the duo. We tracked the duo who led us to Diva following which we reunited the girl with her parents. Based on the statement given by the girl, we arrested the auto drivers after a case (12/2022) was registered under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO,” informed Khadkikar.
Meanwhile, Khalid said his team has been relentlessly working round the clock and giving special attention to cases involving minors to ensure their safety and well-being.
“Our teams cooperated fully with the parents of the girls and considering the sensitivity of the moment, we swiftly worked on the available leads and managed to track and rescue her in time. Our teams have shown exemplary swiftness in tracking the girl after she deboarded at Thane station to finding her at Diva and arresting the accused,” he said.
