"Police arrested Dilipkumar Jayendranath Kumar (32), jari (embroidery) worker who hails from Sitamadhi in Bihar and was working in Antop Hill area here for the last five years, yesterday," said the deputy commissioner of police N Ambika.
He confessed that he planned the kidnapping after watching a popular TV crime show, she said.
The boy had gone missing while playing outside his house in Bangalpura area of Antop Hill on January 19.
Police had formed six teams to look for the boy. They realised that the kidnapper was calling from Antop Hill itself as the calls were traced to a mobile tower in the area.
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After zeroing in on Dilipkumar (who was said to have quit his job and gone to his village) from the mobile number, police sent the boy's father to Dahanu Road station yesterday.
However, the boy's father fainted before he could walk upto the accused and the latter fled, said inspector Nandkumar Gopale, who was a part of investigation team.
After the boy's father was taken to a hospital by some passers-by and he recovered consciousness, the chase resumed.
The police who were shadowing Dilipkumar found out that he had purchased a ticket for Vapi in Gujarat.
Finally Dilipkumar came face to face with the boy's father at the railway station and the waiting cops in civil dress arrested him. The boy, who was with the accused, was rescued unharmed, DCP Ambika said.