Police Crack Case in Three Days; Child Rescued Before Alleged Sale for ₹2 Lakh
Barnala: In a swift and coordinated operation, Barnala police have arrested all nine accused in the kidnapping of a two-year-old boy from the slums near the city’s grain market, recovering the child within three days of the crime. Among those arrested are an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), a self-styled doctor, and two individuals previously involved in an ₹8 crore bank robbery in Ludhiana.
The child was abducted on April 4 and has since been safely reunited with his family, officials confirmed Monday.
Accused Planned to Sell Child to Childless Couple
DIG Patiala Range Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the accused had planned to sell the child for ₹2 lakh through Ravinder Kaur, the ASHA worker, and Vikas Tiwari, who runs a private hospital in Ludhiana. The toddler was ultimately found at a healthcare facility in Mundian Khurd, Ludhiana.
Ravinder Kaur, according to police, confessed to hatching the plan to abduct and sell the child. Vikas Tiwari is believed to have facilitated the arrangement with a prospective buyer.
Accused Include Criminals Out on Bail, Ritual Suspected
The arrested include Kaur’s son Kohinoor Singh, Damanpreet Singh, and Aditya—both of whom were previously arrested in a major bank robbery case and are currently out on bail. Others arrested were Manav Arora, Davinder Singh, Rohit, and Dashrath, who was already wanted in a child kidnapping case in Madhya Pradesh.
Investigators revealed that some of the accused had allegedly set up a ritualistic space in Suwasara, MP, where the child’s head was shaved—raising suspicions of a possible occult connection.
CCTV, Tech Aids, and Human Intel Led to Breakthrough
The police used a combination of CCTV surveillance, technical tracking, and human intelligence to crack the case, which also led teams to multiple locations in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
A joint operation by Punjab and MP police resulted in the arrests of Davinder, Rohit, and Dashrath from Suwasara, while the remaining accused were held in Ludhiana.
Kidnapping Carried Out with Precision
According to police, the kidnapping was carefully orchestrated. The child was initially taken by motorbike from Anaj Mandi by Manav Arora and Damanpreet Singh, then transferred into a Honda Amaze car driven by Kohinoor Singh and Davinder Singh, who transported the child to Ludhiana.
A motorbike and the Honda car used in the crime were also recovered.
Child’s Education to Be Sponsored, Officers Rewarded
The Punjab Police has announced cash rewards and promotions for officers involved in solving the case. In a humanitarian gesture, the police will sponsor the child’s education in a top Barnala school up to Class 10.
Core Investigation Team Credited for Breakthrough
The investigation was led by Sandeep Singh Mand (SP Investigation), Satvir Singh (DSP), Inspector Baljit Singh (CIA), Inspector Lakhwinder Singh (SHO City), and ASI Charanjit Singh (Bus Stand Police Post). A case has been registered under Sections 140(3) and 111(2)(II) of the BNSS at City Barnala Police Station.
The operation highlights the coordination and efficiency of the police in tackling a complex, multi-state crime involving a vulnerable victim and a network of accused with varied criminal backgrounds.
