Filmmaker Faruk Kabir's Estranged Wife, Mother-in-Law Arrested in Newborn Abduction Case

The Mumbai Police's crime branch has arrested the estranged wife and mother-in-law of Bollywood filmmaker Faruk Kabir on charges of abducting their newborn daughter and attempting to flee the country. The infant has been safely recovered.

Kabir, director of the film "Khuda Haafiz," filed an FIR on December 21 at Versova police station against his wife, Sanam, an Uzbekistan national, and her mother, Dilfuza. A search is ongoing for Dilfuza's stepfather, Tejas Khanna, a police officer, who allegedly aided in the abduction.

Based on Kabir's complaint, Inspector Daya Nayak and his team tracked Sanam, Dilfuza, and the baby to Amritsar, Punjab, said Raj Tilak Raushan, deputy commissioner of police (crime). They were brought to Mumbai and handed over to the Versova police for further investigation.

Kabir and Sanam married in Uzbekistan in 2023 and relocated to India. Marital discord reportedly arose after the birth of their daughter, with Sanam and her family insisting on Uzbek nationality for the child. Kabir's complaint accuses Khanna of pressuring hospital staff to list Uzbekistan as the infant's birthplace. He further alleges that Sanam and her parents fled with the baby, birth certificate, other documents, and Rs. 7 lakh worth of gold ornaments.

Seeking the child's return and her residence with him, Kabir filed a habeas corpus petition in the Bombay High Court. Versova police informed the court of their successful trace of Sanam and notified the Foreign Regional Registration Office, prompting the court to direct necessary action.