GUNTUR: After 47 days, the Guntur district rural police succeeded in freeing Kolluru Likhita (13) of Bhattiprolu village in Repalle mandal from the clutches of kidnapper S Nageswara Rao, a former BSF jawan.
The girl was traced in Samba tehsil in Jammu and Kashmir.
A police team, led by Rural SP K Narayana Naik, brought Likhita to Guntur on Thursday from Jammu and Kashmir. Likhita was kidnapped by former BSF jawan Nageswara Rao from Bhattiprolu on April 21.
The girl who resides with her grandmother along with her sister Kavitha, is studying ninth class at Ilavaram village, 4 km away from Bhattiprolu. Her parents Veeraswami and Naga Padma are living at Kolluru.
Addressing a news conference, SP Narayana Naik said Nageswara Rao who worked in the BSF, was dismissed from service for dereliction of duty. After his dismissal from the BSF, he came to Bhattiprolu and started running an auto. He used to drop schoolchildren.
Earlier, he tried to trap two girls who go to school in his auto.
Likhita’s father Veeraswamy and relatives warned him when he tried to lure her. Following a complaint by her parents, the police launched a manhunt for Nageswara Rao. Six special police teams were formed to trace the girl.
Nageswara Rao and Likhita were working as workers in an oil mill in Samba on fictitious names. He rented a house there. The SP said he along with 40 policemen went to Samba and freed Likhita from the clutches of Nageswara Rao. He was arrested.
Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Nannapaneni Rajakumari lauded the efforts of Guntur rural police in freeing Likhita from the clutches of kidnapper. Her parents expressed their gratitude to the SP for rescuing Likhita.
IG N Sanjay also congratulated the Guntur rural police for rescuing the minor girl from the clutches of kidnapper. She will be handed over to her parents after completion of formalities.