Latest news with #Anti-HumanTraffickingUnit
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Missing 4-yr-old rescued from kidnapper in Ahmedabad, reunited with mom
Ahmedabad: A four-year-old girl who went missing from the Law Garden area four days ago was traced by the city crime branch on Tuesday. She was found in the Sabarmati area, in the custody of a woman who allegedly abducted her to sell her off or hand her over to the begging mafia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The girl, Vedika Bheel, daughter of Aarti Bheel, went missing on Saturday evening while playing in the Law Garden area. Her mother sells water bottles near the garden. Despite a search and a police complaint filed with Navrangpura police, her whereabouts remained unknown for several days. The accused was identified as Nikita Dantani, 35, a pavement dweller from Raikhad. She was allegedly roaming around the city on a lookout for vulnerable children when she spotted Vedika. The breakthrough in the case came when a 70-member team from the city crime branch intensified their efforts under an ongoing drive to trace missing children. The woman who abducted Vedika cut her hair to prevent identification. Officers said she planned to sell the girl to a childless couple or hand her over to the begging mafia. The girl was rescued safely and reunited with her parents. Her medical condition is reported to be stable. According to crime branch officials, the rescue is part of a broader operation. Over the last nine months, the city crime branch rescued more than 100 children and registered over 48 offences. Anti-begging drives and active surveillance by specialized units such as the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and Investigative Units for Crimes Against Women (IUCAW) contributed to the detection, sources said. "This case was a continuation of our ongoing operation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The team gained experience in identifying such patterns and knowing where to search," said an officer. The initial investigation faced hurdles due to non-functional CCTV cameras at Law Garden and along CG Road. The equipment, installed under the Smart City project, failed to capture any footage, leaving police with limited leads in the first 48 hours. Despite the challenges, the case saw a breakthrough due to systematic fieldwork and coordination by the crime branch.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Time of India
Cops announce Rs 10k reward for info on missing kids
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch launched a massive drive to trace some 30 minor children who went missing from the city. The city crime branch officials said that 30 children under the age of 15 are missing from Ahmedabad City. The cybercrime officials mentioned that the details, including photographs and names, are also released by the crime branch. The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the crime branch has been handed the responsibility of investigating and locating them. All of these missing children are under the age of 15. The crime branch also announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 for anyone who provides accurate information about any of these 30 children. The crime branch officials stated that the majority of the children are in the age group of 10 to 15 years. Of these 30, about 23 were in this age group, while one child was seven years old. The remaining six were less than five years old. The crime branch officials said that the youngest missing child was four months and nine days old. Of the 30 who went missing, 14 were girls.
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Indian Express
Head constable ‘amasses illegal assets' worth over Rs 31 lakh, booked in Ahmedabad
A police head constable was booked on charges of corruption and possession of disproportionate assets (DA) to the tune of over Rs 31 lakh by local police in Ahmedabad city, officials said on Thursday. The police identified the accused as Vijay Jairam Mali. An FIR was filed against Mali based on a complaint by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) HM Kansagra of 'B' Division at Ranip police station. Mali was booked under The Prevention of Corruption Act Sections 13(1)(e) (criminal misconduct by public servant regarding disproportionate assets), 13(1)(b) (public servant intentionally enriching self during term of office), 13(2) (punishment for criminal misconduct), said the police. According to the FIR, when Mali was posted with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in Ahmedabad City, complaints about his alleged involvement in corrupt activities had reached the Commissioner of Police (CP) who had then transferred him to the police headquarters. However, there too, 'allegations of corruption emerged against him' leading to an inquiry being carried out by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for cybercrime, which had 'found the allegations to be true', said the FIR. Subsequently, Mali was transferred to Devbhoomi Dwarka district police. Thereafter, a primary investigation was ordered into the corruption allegations which 'found Mali to possess assets worth Rs 31,62,739 that were disproportionate to his source of income by 23.55%, in the 19-year period of his service between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2024', stated the FIR. The results of this investigation were submitted to the Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police, leading to the filing of the FIR against him.
