MUMBAI – In a dramatic incident that sent shockwaves through Mumbai’s Worli neighborhood, a brazen attempt to kidnap the five-year-old son of a city police officer was foiled Wednesday evening. The swift actions of the child’s mother, alert local residents, and quick-response Worli police turned what could have been a tragedy into a tale of community vigilance.
The episode unfolded in the Worli Police Camp area around 6:30 PM. Komal Tawre, 33, a homemaker, was preparing dinner at her residence when her young son, Smayts, stepped out with a neighboring eight-year-old girl to buy snacks from a nearby shop. Just 15 minutes later, the girl returned in a panic, breathless, informing Komal that a man was forcibly dragging her son away.
Rushing to the scene, Komal spotted a man aged between 50 and 55 years hauling her terrified child toward the sea through a narrow alley. Her desperate cries pierced the evening air, drawing a crowd of locals who swiftly intervened, wresting the boy from the assailant’s grip.
A vigilant resident promptly alerted the Mumbai Police Control Room. Within minutes, a Worli police team arrived, apprehending the suspect on the spot. The child was safely reunited with his family, and a case under kidnapping attempt charges was registered against the accused.
Identified as Laxman Kalu Chaudhary, 55, from Sakinaka, the man now faces intense interrogation. Smayts’ father, Sachin Tawre, serves as a sub-inspector at Colaba Police Station. Authorities are probing the motive behind the audacious bid and how the perpetrator infiltrated the secure police camp vicinity.
‘Thanks to the mother’s alertness and community support, a potential disaster was averted,’ a senior Worli police officer stated. Investigations continue to uncover any larger threats or accomplices, underscoring the ever-present risks even in protected areas.