Lifeguard arrested on kidnapping charges

MUMBAI: Around 13 months after an MBBS student went missing in Bandra Bandstand, the crime branch on Friday arrested a lifeguard on charges of kidnapping. The accused, Mittu Sukhdev Singh, was last seen with the girl and even clicked selfies with her.

Deputy commissioner of police Krishnakant Upadhyay said, “We have arrested Mittu Sukhdev Singh under sections 363 (kidnapping) and 364(A) (kidnapping for ransom) of the Indian Penal Code. He is not cooperating in the investigation, but we have sufficient evidence to probe him.”

The Nagpada police had earlier conducted Narco analysis and brain-mapping tests on him, but the reports were inconclusive, a police officer said.

Singh was picked up on Thursday night from Bandra and was brought to the local crime branch unit for questioning. He was arrested on Friday and later was produced before a court. He has been remanded in police custody till January 21.

Sadichha Sane, 22, was a third-year student at Sir JJ Hospital and Grant Medical College. She had on November 29, 2021, boarded a train at 9.58 am from Virar station and got off at Andheri as she was to appear for her prelims at 2 pm. Then she boarded another train and alighted at Bandra from where she took an auto to Bandstand.

Her mobile phone location indicated that she had kept on roaming around through the afternoon, the police officer said. “CCTV cameras captured Sane heading towards the seashore opposite Taj Lands’ End at 12.30 am.”

Singh, 32, the lifeguard on duty, spotted her and suspecting that she might attempt suicide, followed her. Noticing Singh, Sane told him that she was not there to end her life. Singh then started chatting with her and both sat on a rock till 3.30 am on November 30, 2021, the officer said.

During this nearly three-hour period, Singh had clicked four selfies with her, whereas Sane had taken one selfie with him,

SINGH WAS PICKED UP ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND WAS BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL CRIME BRANCH UNIT

Singh said in his police statement.

CCTV cameras had captured the cell phone screens blinking, indicating that selfies were taken, as well as one single beam of light, presumably from a cell phone torch, moving away from Bandstand around 3 am. However, due to insufficient lighting, it was not clear who it was, the officer said.

“As a lifeguard, Singh had phone numbers of policemen in his phone but he did not come forward to give a statement when the news of Sane’s disappearance broke. It was only after we zeroed in on him that he admitted he was with her and he was the last person to interact with her,” the police officer said.

A case of kidnapping was registered at Bandra police station on December 10, 2021. It was later transferred to Unit 9 of the crime branch.

The crime branch sleuths checked the CCTV footage but the 22-year-old was not seen anywhere returning from the seashore. Her mobile phone was also switched off, and there was no call, messages or internet activity thereafter.

The police had earlier questioned Singh many times. They had also questioned Sane’s friends, family, and relatives, people residing in Bandstand and surrounding areas, and over 100 auto drivers, but did not get a lead. Also, there was no transaction or withdrawal from her bank account after her disappearance.

The crime branch had also checked her WhatsApp messages, call records, and Instagram, Telegram and e-mail accounts, but did not find anything suspicious, the police officer said.