BARIPADA: Bhanjpur police in Mayurbhanj district detained a West Bengal man on Monday for allegedly abducting a four-year-old girl from outside her house within Baripada municipality limits. The child was rescued after missing for more than 17 hours.
Police detained a man in connection with the alleged abduction around 5 am and identified him as Krishna alias Harekrushna Ghosh (43). Ghosh hails from Jhatigoda village under Gopiballavpur police station in West Bengal, police said. He lives in the Baripada Sadar police station area and works as a daily labourer, police added.
The child’s mother was busy with household work on Sunday and her daughter was playing outside their rented house around 11.30 am. Ghosh spotted the child playing alone and allegedly took her away on his bicycle. After not finding the child, her mother looked around frantically in the neighbourhood before informing the police.
Baripada sub-divisional police officer Prabhat Kumar Mallik said during examination of CCTV footage from an area near the child’s house, police found a man taking the girl away on a bicycle. Police teams examined CCTV footage from key junctions across the town to trace the suspect’s movements and a search operation continued through the night.
Early in the morning, police, with the assistance of local residents, caught Ghosh while he was allegedly trying to flee after leaving the girl near her house. Police handed the child over to her mother.
The SDPO said the detained person’s mental health would be scrutinised. Police are arranging a medical examination and continuing the investigation to establish the circumstances and motive behind the incident.