Rakesh Bamaniya, a migrant farmhand from Madhya Pradesh, had been hosting 25‑year‑old Lalit Jamre for six months before the abduction.
Lalit boarded a stolen motorcycle, taking the child from the village of Mota Ankadiya while the father watched helplessly.
Police had no mobile phone data; they relied on the motorcycle registration and 170 CCTV feeds, coordinating with Amreli, Rajkot and Gandhinagar surveillance units.
The 15‑hour investigation traced the motorcyclist through Rajkot‑Porbandar highway, railway stations and bus stands, culminating in a raid near Gondal where the child was found unharmed.
Jamre was taken into custody on the verge of a 100‑km chase, and the child was reunited with his parents at the Amreli station.
Investigators are now examining the suspect’s motive while he remains in police remand, with the case set to be reviewed by the criminal court next month.