Tanuj Chahar, 33, a former head constable from Agra, kidnapped the child to lure his mother, evaded capture for over a year.
Jaipur Police rescued 2-year-old Prithvi from his abductor, Tanuj Chahar, in Aligarh on August 27, concluding a 14-month investigation. The dramatic rescue was marked by an emotional scene at a local police station where the child, who had been missing since his abduction in Uttar Pradesh, clung to Chahar and cried profusely.
Despite the police trying to separate them, the child refused to leave the accused who was also seen wiping his tears as the officers carried him away in the end.
Tanuj Chahar, 33, originally from Agra and a former head constable in the Reserve Police Lines in Aligarh, had managed to evade capture for over a year.
Chahar, who had been suspended from his police duties, used his knowledge of law enforcement procedures to avoid detection.
He changed his appearance frequently, avoided using phones, and lived in a hut near the Yamuna River in Vrindavan with Prithvi. To further conceal his identity, Chahar grew a beard and posed as a monk.
The abduction began when Chahar, who had personal connections with Prithvi’s mother, Poonam Chaudhary, demanded that she leave her home with him.
When she refused, Chahar resorted to kidnapping her child, hoping to force her to run away with him.
The police operation involved a special team that tracked Chahar across multiple locations including Mathura, Agra, and Vrindavan.
The team’s extensive efforts came down to an 8-kilometer chase in Aligarh before Chahar was arrested.
The rescue operation ended with Prithvi being reunited with his mother outside the police station.
The emotional reunion highlighted the trauma faced by the child, who had spent over a year with his abductor.
Chahar has been charged with kidnapping and other related offences.