CHENNAI: Police on Sunday rescued the four-year-old Asha, who was abducted on her way home from the Balwadi School at Otteri some two days ago. Three persons, including two women, were arrested in this connection.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Pulianthope, R Chandran told Express that the kidnapper was a 21-year-old woman, Rekha, a native of Salavakkam village in Kancheepuram district.
She had been a housemaid in Anna Nagar and was often seen at Otteri, where Asha lived with her parents Solomon and Prasannakumari on First Street, Ekalingapuram.
The ACP said Rekha’s sister-inlaw Sundari and her husband Balan had been married for about 25 years, but were childless.
Though Balan’s brother had left his daughter with them, he took her away two years ago.
Sundari had told Rekha that she was ready to adopt a child from an orphanage.
When Rekha saw a helper in the Balwadi taking Asha home as usual around 3.30 pm on Friday, she approached the helper and offered to drop Asha home, claiming that she was a relative of the child.
“Normally, children do not go to strangers, but this girl went to Rekha immediately,” Chandran said.
Rekha then took the child to her village and handed over to her sister-in-law, who gave her Rs 8,000.
Special police teams conducted investigations at Otteri and arrested Rekha, Sundari and Balan on Sunday. The child was handed over to her parents, Chandran added.