Girl abducted in Kerala; Rs 10 lakh ransom demanded as police widen dragnet
Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): Amid growing concern over the abduction of a six-year-old girl from Pooyappally in southern Kerala on Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the state police to intensify its investigation.
Hours after the incident, the chief minister directed the state police chief to ensure a flawless and speedy investigation into the incident, his office said in a statement.
Vijayan also said police are actively searching for the girl and requested people not to spread false information about the incident.
Meanwhile, television news channels said another ransom call was received by the girls' parents from the kidnappers.
According to the audio-recordings of the purported ransom call, the kidnappers said the girl is safe and unharmed and will be returned on Wednesday morning on a payment of Rs 10 lakh.
The kidnappers also warned the parents not to inform the police.
Prior to this, a ransom call demanding Rs 5 lakh was received by the parents a few hours after the kidnapping.
As television crew, relatives, neighbours and police thronged the house of the victim, there was a dramatic twist in the situation.
A call was received on the mobile phone of the girl's mother and initially, everyone thought news had arrived that the child was traced.
However, the happiness was short-lived as it turned out to be a ransom call from the kidnappers, demanding Rs 5 lakh for the safe return of the girl.
Police have intensified the search for the girl, with vehicles being checked on all major and minor roads in the southern districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram.
Visuals showed police officers checking vehicles, especially white-coloured ones, on the roads.
The kidnappers, suspected to be four in number including a woman, came in a white car and abducted the girl while she was going for tuition classes along with her eight-year-old brother, according to the boy's statement to police.
When the boy tried to stop the abductors, they pushed him aside and whisked away the girl in the car, an officer from the Pooyappally police station said.
"We have collected CCTV footage from cameras in the area and are going through it. The vehicle used in the kidnapping is suspected to be a white sedan -- either a Honda Amaze or a Swift Dzire," the officer said.
The incident occurred between 4 pm and 4.30 pm.
The victim's brother suffered injuries to his knees while trying to save his sister, police said.
The parents of the children are nurses in two separate private hospitals.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
