Kidnapping Incident in Vakola
A five-year-old girl was kidnapped while she slept with her mother, Pinky Rahul Sharma, and her six-year-old sibling on the pavement along Nehru Road, Vakola, Santacruz (East) between 2 am and 3 am on November 21, 2025. Her mother noticed her daughter was missing around 4 am and filed a complaint with the Vakola police after failing to locate her.
Rescue and Investigation
Vakola police quickly formed seven teams to investigate the case. CCTV footage revealed an autorickshaw stopped near the area where the family slept, after which the girl vanished. Through surveillance and tips, autorickshaw driver Lateef Shaikh was detained; he disclosed Lawrence and Mangal Fernandes, the child's maternal uncle and aunt, as the main suspects behind the abduction.
Sequence of Events
- Lateef Shaikh drove the kidnapped girl to Panvel.
- The girl was handed over to agent Karan Maruti Sanas, who allegedly paid ₹90,000 to Lawrence Fernandes for the child.
- Investigators found that Lawrence had agreed to kidnap his niece for money after Karan approached him, claiming someone unable to have children wanted to pay for a child.
- Karan then resold the girl to BAMS doctor Brinda Chavan for ₹1.8 lakh.
- Police learned Dr. Chavan had paid Karan ₹6 lakh, believing the girl was his sister’s daughter put up for adoption because her birth family could not care for her.
- After tracing leads, the girl was found safe in Panvel and reunited with her mother.
Arrests and Current Status
Six people were arrested: Lawrence Fernandes, Mangal Fernandes, Nitin (Mangal’s son), autorickshaw driver Latif Shaikh, agent Karan Maruti Sanas, and BAMS doctor Brinda Chavan. They remain in police custody, with investigation ongoing.
"Acting swiftly, the Vakola PStn rescued the girl from Panvel and safely reunited her with her mother. All individuals involved in the kidnapping and subsequent trafficking of the child have been arrested."
Author's Summary: Authorities in Mumbai rescued a kidnapped five-year-old girl and arrested six suspects, uncovering a child trafficking network involving close family members and intermediaries.
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