A cell phone number that had been saved by a 65-year-old man in his own phone helped the police nab the kidnapper of his 40-day-old son on Thursday.
Police traced the address of the Broadway house of the accused Muthu (32), a native of Madurai and a maxi cab driver. The child was reunited with his mother Shanthi, (32), a pavement dweller in Aranmanaikara Theru in Parrys. Two weeks ago, she had gone to Government Raja Sir Ramasamy Mudaliar hospital to get her son vaccinated when she met Muthu and the co-accused Krishnaveni.
Krishnaveni had earlier approached Muthu, seeking to purchase a child for her daughter. Muthu assured her of his help and the duo went to the hospital with the aim of identifying poor mothers who they thought would sell their children. They approached Shanthi who was enraged at their proposal. The duo slipped away but followed Shanthi back home.
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Over the next couple of days, they continued to meet Shanthi and even bought food and clothes for the child. Soon, Krishnaveni and Shanthi became good friends and the latter would leave her child in the former’s care when she went for any work in the neighbourhood. On Tuesday, Shanthi went to church leaving the child in the care of the two. When she returned, the baby and the duo was missing.
The police first found Krishnaveni from whom the baby was recovered. They then identified the number of Muthu, who had called the boy’s father Muthuswami two days before, and arrested him.