Man Flees With 10-Yr-Old Son Amid Bitter Marital Dispute, Wife Gets Back Custody After Kidnap FIR

Nagpur: A 10-year-old boy who went missing from his home in the city's Kalamna area was tracked down by the anti-human trafficking unit of the crime branch after 12 days and reunited with his mother on Friday.The minor's father allegedly took the drastic step of fleeing with his elder son after his wife repeatedly denied him access to the child amid ongoing marital tensions. He began living separately from his wife at Mouda, from where the son was rescued by the team led by senior inspector Lalita Todase of the anti-human trafficking cell.The episode began on February 15, when the child suddenly disappeared from his mother's house in Durga Nagar near Tirupati shop in Kalamna at around 3 pm. His 30-year-old mother launched an extensive but fruitless search with family members. Suspecting foul play — possibly that an unknown person lured or abducted the minor due to his young age — she approached Kalamna police and lodged a missing person report.Acting on the complaint, Kalamna police registered a crime under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with kidnapping a minor from lawful guardianship.Police soon found that the disappearance stemmed from a domestic dispute between the parents. The case was escalated to Nagpur City Police's specialised anti-human trafficking unit, which launched a parallel and intensive search operation.Drawing on reliable information, the team traced the boy to his father's custody on Friday. The child was found staying with his father at a new house construction site belonging to one Chandu Bhoyar in the Borgaon area in Mouda police limits in Nagpur rural district.The squad acted swiftly on the tip-off, reached the location, located the minor in his father's company, and took him into protective custody. The boy underwent a thorough medical examination, was counselled, and was questioned sensitively in a child-friendly environment.Following completion of initial formalities and counselling, the child was handed over to Kalamna police for legal proceedings and the reunification process. He was eventually restored to the custody of his relieved mother, bringing emotional closure to the 12-day ordeal. The entire operation was supervised by additional CP Vasant Pardeshi, DCP Rahul Maknikar and ACP Abhijit Patil.