Mathura Court Delivers Verdict in Infant Kidnapping Case
A court in Mathura has handed down a significant sentence in a distressing child abduction case, highlighting the complexities of justice in trafficking allegations. The additional sessions judge, Neelam Dhaka, on Friday sentenced a 45-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping a seven-month-old infant from Mathura Junction railway station. In a notable twist, the court acquitted eight other individuals, including a doctor couple from Hathras, who were accused of purchasing the kidnapped child, citing insufficient evidence to prove trafficking charges.
Details of the Kidnapping Incident
The incident traces back to August 24, 2022, when the complainant, Radha Singh, a resident of Parkham village in Mathura, was sleeping at the railway station between 4 am and 5 am. Upon waking, she discovered her seven-month-old son was missing and immediately reported the matter to the Government Railway Police (GRP) station. An FIR was registered under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 370 (trafficking of persons), and 120B (criminal conspiracy), prompting a thorough investigation.
Police swiftly scanned CCTV footage from the station, which led to the identification of Deep Kumar Sharma, a resident of Hathras, as the perpetrator responsible for taking the child away. Additional district government counsel Hemendra Bhardwaj stated that on August 29, 2022, acting on a tip-off, GRP teams traced the missing child to Firozabad. In a coordinated joint operation with local police, they successfully rescued the infant and arrested nine people, including Sharma and the doctor couple.
Legal Proceedings and Court Ruling
Based on witness testimonies and technical evidence, such as CCTV footage, police filed a chargesheet in October 2022. The case proceeded to trial after Sharma denied the charges, seeking a hearing and claiming false implication in the trafficking case. After extensive arguments, the court found the evidence sufficient only to establish charges of kidnapping and criminal conspiracy against Sharma.
The court held that "the prosecution failed to prove the allegations of trafficking and illegal purchase of the infant against the remaining accused," leading to the acquittal of the eight others. In addition to the 10-year prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on Sharma. Failure to pay this fine will result in an additional three months of imprisonment, as confirmed by the ADGC.
This ruling underscores the challenges in prosecuting trafficking cases while ensuring justice for victims of kidnapping. The case has drawn attention to the need for robust evidence in such sensitive matters, balancing punishment for crimes with the protection of innocent parties.
