27-yr-old kidnaps stepson to remarry ex-wife

The accused, 27-year-old Imran Ibrahim Shaikh, was later arrested from his hideout at Mandvi in Masjid Bunder.

Officials of the JJ Marg police station said Imran married Zareena Shaikh in 2009, but soon their marriage fell apart owing to Shaikh's parents' disliking for Zareena. The couple finally parted ways in 2011.

Inspector Gautam Randheve of the JJ Marg police station said, "Zareena's marriage with Imran was her second. She had married Babu in 2007, but they parted ways in just two years. She then married Imran, but even this relationship didn't last for long as his parents disliked Zareena."

Police officials said Imran once again approached Zareena to remarry him, but she turned down his offer. Her rejection infuriated Imran, who was already under the impression that Zareena was having an affair with someone called Imtiaz. He then hatched the plot to kidnap Zareena's son and force her to remarry him to get back her child.

But after kidnapping the child on Tuesday evening and threatening Zareena that he would harm the boy if she rejected his proposal, Imran dropped the child outside her residence in Byculla yesterday morning.

Police officials said initially they found it difficult to zero in on Imran through the location of his cellphone.

An official said, "He is a drug addict, and would constantly shift his base from one location to another. He was moving between Mumbra, Antop Hill and Masjid Bunder, before we finally nabbed him from Mandvi."

Imran was booked under sections 363 , 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and will be produced in a local court today. u00a0