VIJAYAWADA: A man allegedly abducted and sold his three-year-old daughter to a beggar gang for Rs 5,000 at Vijayawada railway station. The child was rescued and reunited with her mother within 24 hours of receiving the missing complaint.
According to Government Railway Police (GRP) officials, the girl’s mother, Venkateswaramma, lodged a complaint at Vijayawada railway station on Thursday night after her daughter Sravani went missing.
GRP Circle-Inspector (CI) Venkata Ramana said the accused, Saikam Mastan (35), a resident of Vetapalem in Bapatla district, had abandoned his family and become addicted to alcohol and other vices.
A week prior, he visited his wife and, following a dispute over money, abducted their second daughter.
After reaching Vijayawada on Thursday, Mastan reportedly met Bolla Srinivasulu and Sadela Chinnari at the railway station. He sold the child to them for Rs 5,000, the CI said.
Srinivasulu sells buttermilk on the platforms, while Chinnari survives by begging.
The two planned to resell the girl to another gang in Rajamahendravaram but were apprehended during transit. The father was also arrested in Vijayawada, the CI informed the media.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS, and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.