TIRUPATI: An unidentified miscreant kidnapped a 16-month-old boy at Tirumala on Friday morning. The boy, Veeresh, came with his parents Prashanta Jadhav and Sneha from Ausa of Latur district in Maharashtra on a pilgrimage to Tirumala. Finding no accommodation on Thursday night after reaching Tirumala, the couple slept near a mandap at APSRTC bus station. When they woke up in the morning, they found the boy missing.
After their frantic efforts to search for their son proved futile, the couple immediately approached TTD vigilance officials who in turn took the couple to Tirumala police, who took their complaint and registered a case. They checked the CCTV footage and found a middle-aged man walking away with the boy. Police stations in Chittoor districts were alerted about the abductor.
The photograph of Veeresh, which was taken on the mobile phone by his father, was passed on to all police stations. According to Tirumala Crime Police, the middle-aged man took the boy behind Madhavam Pilgrim Amenities complex and boarded a jeep leaving for Tirupati.
Five police teams were formed to search for the kidnapped boy. One team took up the search in Tirupati, while other four fanned out to Chittoor, Renigunta, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
Prasantha Dalimbe, a jewellery-maker from Latur, came with his wife to offer their son’s hair to the Lord as part of their vow.
The distraught father told TNIE that he did not have any suspects and never expected his son to go missing. He said they pray the Lord to restore their child to them safely.
Speaking to TNIE, the boy’s uncle, Kakasaheb Jadhav said that they were scheduled to come as a group with others from their village on January 30, but as he has some work, he along with his cousin Prashanta Dalimbe and family came four days early.
“We reached Tirumala between 10 pm and 11 pm. As we could not get a room in Madhavam Pilgrim Amenities Complex. As it was getting late, we slept at the mandap. The boy’s mother said when she had woken up at around 6 am she found the boy safe by her side and went back to sleep as it was cold. Again when she woke up a bit later, she found the boy missing. We searched for him everywhere but did not find him. When the police showed us the CCTV footage, we recognized the boy. He was wearing a red shirt ” explained Kakasaheb, who works as a photographer.
Police released a photo of the kidnapper and the boy with a request to the public seeking their help in nabbing the miscreant.
Police seek info
Any information pertaining to the kidnapper or kidnapped boy can be passed on to the following numbers
Tirumala DSP: 9440796768 (land line - 0877 - 2289026)
Inspector of Police: 9440796769 (land line - 0877 - 2289027)
Sub Inspector of Police: 9494868480
(land line - 0877 - 2289031)