Mathura, Oct 13 (IANS): The Government Railway Police (GRP) has rescued a 2-year-old child abducted from Mathura railway junction in Uttar Pradesh after a 10-month ordeal.

Five people, including two women, who are part of an interstate beggar gang, have been arrested.

On January 7, 2023, the child was lifted from Gate 1 while sleeping with her mother, a ragpicker.

On the basis of the complaint filed by the mother, an FIR was registered against unknown persons under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping) and 363A (kidnapping or maiming a minor for purposes of begging).

Despite an extensive search involving over 300 CCTV cameras in the police station and nearby areas, no footage of the incident was found.

The police had to rely solely on a passport-sized photograph of the child to aid their search, which extended to six neighbouring states, said senior sub-inspector Kulveer Singh.

A breakthrough came during a checking drive at Bhuteshwar temple near Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple on Wednesday, when a GRP team saw a group of men and women stepping out of a train and hurriedly going to the exit, one of them carrying a child.

The GRP detained the group, and they could not provide details about the child.

During interrogation, they confessed that the child was the one kidnapped 10 months ago. The child's identity was confirmed based on body markings provided by her mother.

DSP Vijay Kumar said, "The child is safe and has been reunited with her mother. The arrested individuals revealed they had kidnapped six children previously. They targeted children aged 1 to 3 years."

He added, "The gang forced the kidnapped children into begging, and as they grew older, the children were sold. Two children were recently sold to a woman in Delhi. We are locating other children kidnapped by this gang and their associates. Details have been shared with Delhi police for investigation."