Couple arrested for kidnapping 4-year-old boy near temple in Valsad

As per Valsad town cops, the incident occurred on Monday when the child was playing around a temple.

The Valsad police have arrested a couple for allegedly kidnapping a 4-year-old boy near a temple in Bhagdawada village, Gujarat.

The incident took place on Monday while the boy, the grandson of a local fruitseller, was playing with his 3-year-old friend on the temple steps.

Details of the Incident

The accused have been identified as Sonal Rayji Parmar, 24, from Mahemdavad in Ahmedabad, and Praveen Chaudhary, 37, a resident of Parnera village in Pardi taluka of Valsad and a native of Rajasthan. According to the police, the couple was passing by the temple when they spotted the boy playing.

Sonal allegedly approached the child, engaged him in conversation, and, upon learning that he liked balloons, coaxed him to accompany her under the pretext of buying one.

However, a person known to the child recognized him with the couple and immediately raised the alarm. The local community quickly intervened, apprehending the couple and handing them over to the Valsad town police station.

Motive Behind the Kidnapping

During preliminary questioning, Valsad town police inspector DD Parmar revealed that Sonal had been kicked out of her husband’s house four months ago following the death of their one-year-old son.

Since then, she had been living on the streets near railway stations in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat. In Surat, she met Praveen Chaudhary, who had also been ostracized by his family.

The inspector stated that Sonal, still grieving the loss of her son, had decided to kidnap a child to fill the void left by his death.

Praveen, who is unmarried and also homeless, had been wandering various cities, including Mumbai, before coming to Surat. A few days before the incident, the pair arrived in Valsad in search of a young boy to abduct.

Aftermath

The kidnapped child was safely returned to his grandmother, Hansa Barudiya. The Valsad police have registered a case of kidnapping against Sonal Parmar and Praveen Chaudhary. The investigation is ongoing, and further details may emerge as the case progresses.