15-month-old boy rescued after 11 days, woman arrested in Dhanusha

Dhanusha, September 15, 2026 — Police have safely rescued a 15-month-old boy who went missing from Tinkoriya in Ward 6 of Bideha Municipality, Dhanusha, and arrested a woman accused of kidnapping him.

Sidhanta Mahato, son of Kamlesh Mahato, disappeared while playing in the courtyard of his home at around 4:40 p.m. on September 3. Police from the Giddha Police Post were immediately mobilised after the family reported the disappearance.

A 60-member search team led by Dhanusha District Police Office chief Superintendent of Police Rupesh Khadka was later deployed across the area, with trained tracking dogs assisting the operation.

According to District Police Office spokesperson Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Khanal, investigators identified 41-year-old Punita Devi Paswan of Hathalatwa, Kamala Municipality-9, as the suspect in the case.

A joint investigation team led by Khanal and Provincial Information Analysis and Investigation officer Babindra Nembang found during the preliminary investigation that the child had allegedly been abducted by Paswan. Police also determined that she had moved and concealed the child at different locations in Nepal and India.

Following those findings, police intensified surveillance around the clock at border checkpoints across Dhanusha and expanded technical investigation efforts to locate the suspect and the child.

As police closed in on Paswan, she allegedly left the child by the roadside about 300 metres south of her home at around 3:35 p.m. on September 14 before fleeing. Police immediately recovered the child and took him for a medical examination before handing him back to his family. His health condition has been reported as normal.

Paswan was arrested about 10 minutes later, at around 3:45 p.m., while allegedly attempting to flee towards India. Police detained her near the Dashgaja border area in Mahinathpur, Bideha Municipality-1.

The District Police Office, Dhanusha, said further investigation has been initiated against Paswan on charges related to kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and human trafficking and transportation.