According to the police, the prime accused, Salman Maulvi, wanted money to build a new house.
In Maharashtra's Thane, a 9-year-old boy finished his evening prayers at his local mosque, stepped out of the building, but was kidnapped by the local tailor before being killed, put in a sack and hid in the latter's backyard.
The chilling sequence of events unfolded in Goregaon village in Thane's Badlapur Sunday evening. According to the police, the prime accused, Salman Maulvi, wanted money to build a new house. Salman, a tailor residing in the same neighbourhood, hatched a plan to kidnap Ibad in a bid to extort a ransom of Rs 23 lakh. The motive behind this heinous act was reportedly to finance the construction of a house.
When Ibad failed to return home after evening prayers, his concerned family, upon realising his absence, initiated a frantic search. Their worst fears were confirmed when Ibad's father, Muddasir, received a chilling call demanding the exorbitant ransom for his son's safe return. However, the call abruptly ended, without divulging any details.
When the villagers found out about Ibad's disappearance, a dual search operation ensued. While the police launched a comprehensive search, combing through every lead, the villagers themselves rallied to find the missing boy. The kidnapper, sensing the mounting pressure, attempted to evade capture by changing SIM cards in his mobile phone.
On Monday afternoon, the police tracked the location of Salman's residence. What they uncovered sent shockwaves through the community - the body of Ibad stuffed in a sack, callously concealed behind the house.
"After the kidnap, there was a ransom call made. The accused is in our custody. Investigation is being done behind the motive for murdering the child," said Thane Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr DS Swami.
Alongside Salman, his brother Safuan Maulvi was also arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder. An FIR has been registered and while Salman has been identified as the prime suspect, investigations are underway to ascertain the involvement of other individuals, including family members, in this barbaric crime, senior Badlapur police officer Govind Patil said.