A driver allegedly kidnapped two eight-year-old girls within a span of two months, cared for them at his house for a night or two, and then returned them home “without harming” either of them, the police maintained on Monday.

The 40-year-old man, who has been arrested, has claimed he kidnapped the girls and kept them with him to fulfil his desire for a daughter, police said. The man only has two sons, aged 12 and 14 years. He was apprehended after police managed to get a CCTV footage of his motorcycle following the second kidnap and return of the girl on Saturday morning.

Monika Bhardwaj, deputy commissioner of police (west), said while no other motive has emerged so far, she was sceptical of his claims. Documents have shown that the man, Krishan Dutt Tiwari, sustained severe head injuries in an accident a decade ago, the officer said.

“Doctors have suggested that he needs to undergo psychiatric assessment. His mental health may have something to do with the kidnaps,” the DCP said.

Tiwari lives in west Delhi’s Rajouri Garden with his wife, mother and two sons.

“To not arouse his family’s suspicion, Tiwari would tell them that the girls were children of his colleagues who were out of station and had requested him to care for them,” an investigator said. The DCP said whenever the girls cried, Tiwari would offer them food. “Our investigation has revealed that neither of the two girls created too much trouble for him or raised the alarm,” the DCP said.

He had allegedly kidnapped an eight-year-old daughter of a beggar who lived in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar. “He had kidnapped the girl on November 23, kept her at his home for three days, before dropping her near her home,” the investigator said. Back then, the police had believed that their “intense hunt” and “pressure” had compelled the kidnapper to return the child. The girl had allegedly told the police that the kidnapper hadn’t touched her inappropriately or hurt her. The case remained unsolved.

The latest kidnapping, of another eight-year-old girl from a slum near Kirti Nagar on Friday, was strikingly similar to the previous one.

“The girl was visiting a public toilet when the man lured her away on a motorcycle,” the DCP, quoting the girl, said. The kidnapper later dropped her near her home on Saturday morning.

“The girl said her kidnapper hadn’t done anything ‘bad’ to her,” the DCP said.

This time, police found CCTV footage of a Bajaj Discover motorcycle on which the kidnapper had dropped off the girl. “Only a part of the registration plate was visible and we had to shortlist 200 motorcycles with similar numbers before we zeroed in on Tiwari,” the DCP said. Tiwari allegedly denied his role in the kidnappings before breaking down on being presented with video evidence, the police said. “The second girl has told a court in her statement that she was not offered food by him. That makes us suspect his version,” said another investigator.

First Published: Jan 29, 2019 08:52 IST