Mangaluru: Woman sentenced to 4 years behind bars for abducting infant

A court in Mangaluru has convicted a woman of abducting a child and pronounced the sentence for the crime.

The 2nd Additional District and Sessions (Special) Court of Mangaluru has sentenced Rubia alias Fatima, aged 44, to four years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. The case pertains to the abduction of a 7-month-old child from near Mangaluru Junction railway station in 2017.

Fatima, who arrived in Mangaluru in December 2016, reportedly stayed with the child’s mother at Kankanadi railway station. On January 12, 2017, she seized the opportunity when the mother momentarily left the child near the station’s parking lot to beg. Fatima took the child away to an undisclosed location and returned. Later she pretended to assist in the search for the child. She absconded and exploited the infant for begging purposes around the town.

The crime came to light on January 22, 2020, near Masjid-e-Azam Masjid on Ashoka Road, Mandi Mohalla Village, Mysuru City. The child was observed being forced to beg, prompting the victim to alert the authorities. The then Inspector Ramakrishna KK and Sub-Inspector Pradeep TR from Kankanadi Nagar Police Station conducted a thorough investigation, examining 20 witnesses and filing a charge sheet against Fatima.

DNA testing played a crucial role in establishing the biological relationship between the child and the complainant, confirming the child’s mother as the biological parent. The trial, initiated on October 5, 2021, saw 12 witnesses testifying in the case.

Judge Preeti K P, considered the evidence and delivered a conviction against Fatima for all charges. The court pronounced a four-year prison sentence and a Rs 10,000 fine. The judgment includes a provision for an additional one month of simple imprisonment in case of failure to pay the fine.

Jyoti Pramoda Nayak argued on behalf of the prosecution.