MUMBAI: The deposition of a plucky Andheri-based 11-year-old girl who vividly recalled and confided in her best friend that as a 4-year-old she was kidnapped from her hometown in Madhya Pradesh by a neighbouring couple and subsequently handed over to a woman in the city, has ensured that the four perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping and trafficking for exploitation. As the best friend informed her mother who in turn informed the cops, the child was finally reunited with her biological parents in 2016, six years after she had gone missing.
Additional Sessions Judge L S Chavan on Thursday also fined the accused Kamla Sisodiya (55), Maya Patel (56), Shivshankar Sisodiya (43) and Ganga Sisodiya (40) Rs 10,000 each. Public prosecutor Geeta Malankar urged the court not to show the accused leniency.
The child’s biological parents, who were witnesses in the case, denied the fake mother, Kamala’s claims that they had handed her over voluntarily as they could not afford to take care of her. They had lodged an FIR in 2010 and continued to make frantic efforts to trace the child.
Among other witnesses were the child’s best friend, her mother, a teacher, the chairman of the building where the girl resided and cops.
The child, the star witness, told the court in May 2016, she told her best friend her “real mother” used to sell bangles and cutlery at a bus depot. She said when she was playing near her mother’s shop, at that time, one uncle and aunty who sold toys and lived close to her mother’s shop came there with a chocolate. They then took her away in an SUV. The child said when she started crying, the man threatened her and took her to the accused Maya’s house. The child stayed there for a few days and was beaten repeatedly. Maya then took her to co-accused Ganga and Shivshankar who handed her over to “Kamla Aunty” who lived in Andheri with the child’s fake sister, a bar dancer.
The child said she was made to work in the house, beaten, threatened and made to serve alcohol to those who visited her “didi” at night. The child said Kamala wanted her to join dance classes. She then confided in her best friend, whose mother complained to MIDC police station with the help of a social worker. The child said her “didi” was also brought to the police station and then sent to her parents. Cops managed to locate the child’s parents with the help of MP police.
Additional Sessions Judge L S Chavan on Thursday also fined the accused Kamla Sisodiya (55), Maya Patel (56), Shivshankar Sisodiya (43) and Ganga Sisodiya (40) Rs 10,000 each. Public prosecutor Geeta Malankar urged the court not to show the accused leniency.
The child’s biological parents, who were witnesses in the case, denied the fake mother, Kamala’s claims that they had handed her over voluntarily as they could not afford to take care of her. They had lodged an FIR in 2010 and continued to make frantic efforts to trace the child.
Among other witnesses were the child’s best friend, her mother, a teacher, the chairman of the building where the girl resided and cops.
The child, the star witness, told the court in May 2016, she told her best friend her “real mother” used to sell bangles and cutlery at a bus depot. She said when she was playing near her mother’s shop, at that time, one uncle and aunty who sold toys and lived close to her mother’s shop came there with a chocolate. They then took her away in an SUV. The child said when she started crying, the man threatened her and took her to the accused Maya’s house. The child stayed there for a few days and was beaten repeatedly. Maya then took her to co-accused Ganga and Shivshankar who handed her over to “Kamla Aunty” who lived in Andheri with the child’s fake sister, a bar dancer.
The child said she was made to work in the house, beaten, threatened and made to serve alcohol to those who visited her “didi” at night. The child said Kamala wanted her to join dance classes. She then confided in her best friend, whose mother complained to MIDC police station with the help of a social worker. The child said her “didi” was also brought to the police station and then sent to her parents. Cops managed to locate the child’s parents with the help of MP police.
