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Alert rickshaw driver, swift police coordination helped trace kidnapped 4-year-old girl in 24 hrs

THANE: In a dramatic rescue operation spanning two states, a four-year-old girl abducted from a construction site in Badlapur West on Tuesday afternoon was safely traced and rescued within 24 hours from a remote village in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district. The child, who lived at the site with her parents and two siblings, was lured away while her mother was at work. The family, originally from another state, resides at the site where her father and uncle are employed as labourers. Her mother works as a domestic help in the locality. According to police officials, the accused -- identified as 26-year-old Ranjeet Dhurve -- had visited the construction site late Monday night, asking for work. Turned away by the site supervisor, he approached the girl's mother requesting food. She refused, citing lack of resources, leading to a brief argument between them. The next afternoon, taking advantage of the child being alone, Dhurve allegedly lured her with chocolates and took her to a nearby rickshaw stand. A labourer at the site had seen him walking away with the girl, but accepted the explanation that he would return shortly after buying her sweets. Fortunately, rickshaw driver Yogesh Chonkar, who was approached by Dhurve for a ride to Badlapur station, grew suspicious. "He was clutching the girl's hand tightly, and she was pleading in Hindi to be let go," Chonkar told the police. When questioned, Dhurve claimed the girl was his daughter and was simply scared to travel by rickshaw. Chonkar offered the child biscuits and managed to discreetly take photographs of both before the man asked to be dropped at Kalyan station instead -- offering extra money. Chonkar declined but suggested he take a train, and used the opportunity to capture more photos while Dhurve was distracted. Uncertain about what he had witnessed, Chonkar shared his concerns with friends. Later that evening, when the child's mother returned around 4 pm and found her missing, she rushed to the Badlapur West police station and lodged a complaint. Senior police inspector K Thorve said the police acted immediately, circulating the child's details through inter-departmental networks. Within minutes, Chonkar came forward with the photographs he had taken. Multiple police teams were dispatched to Kalyan station and other major transit points, while long-distance trains were monitored. Deputy commissioners of police Sachin Gore (Zone 4) and Amarsinh Jadhav (Crime Branch) led parallel efforts to trace the suspect. CCTV footage from Kalyan station confirmed the presence of Dhurve and the child, though the train they boarded could not be identified. Another team began tracing Dhurve's background. A local villager from Badlapur East identified the suspect as a native of Mordongri village in Madhya Pradesh. With this lead, Senior PI Ashok Koli of Ulhasnagar Crime Branch coordinated with police stations in Ambernath, Badlapur and Kalyan, ensuring swift inter-agency communication. Thane Crime Branch alerted the MP police and local authorities in Mordongri, who, with help from the village sarpanch and residents, tracked down Dhurve. He had reportedly left the girl in his sister's care and was preparing to flee when the police apprehended him. The child was rescued unharmed. After a medical examination and counselling by a child welfare team, the girl was reunited with her family. A Thane police team later brought both the accused and the rescued child back to Maharashtra. Dhurve has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for kidnapping and wrongful confinement, as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He has been remanded in police custody. Officials are also investigating whether he has a criminal past or links to other such incidents.

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