KOCHI: A migrant woman from Bihar, visibly distressed, rushed into the Aluva East police station about 8pm on February 15. Instead of approaching the help desk, she went straight into the cabin of Station House Officer M M Manjudas.
Struggling to introduce herself, she managed to convey that her one-month-old baby had been abducted by two fellow migrant workers while she was preparing to return to her hometown. She had little information about the kidnappers beyond a few identification marks. They had demanded Rs 70,000 over a phone call for the child’s release.
Noting the urgency, the officers on duty, led by Manjudas, sprang into action. “We bypassed the usual formalities,” says an officer.
After reassuring the woman, the officers showed her the images from the crime gallery at the police station. Meanwhile, the police cyber cell started tracking the phone number used for the ransom demand.
The woman recognised one of the suspects — Rinki, 20, a transgender person from Assam residing in a rented house in Aluva. Manjudas alerted Aluva DySP T R Rajesh and Ernakulam district police chief Vaibhav Saxena about initiating a rescue operation.
Acting on the gathered details, a police squad reached Rinki’s residence. It was vacant. Suspecting that Rinki and her accomplice, Rashidul Haq, 29, from Nagaon, Assam, had already fled with the infant, the district police chief ordered an extensive search operation, involving the review of multiple CCTV footages and checks at railway stations, bus stands, airports, and road borders. Police jeeps combed the streets of Aluva, while road patrols and vehicle checks were intensified to locate the suspects and ensure the baby’s safety.
“Through CCTV surveillance, we spotted two individuals matching the suspects’ descriptions travelling in an autorickshaw, carrying a baby wrapped in cloth,” says Manjudas.
“We tracked the vehicle as it moved towards Angamaly. After nearly two hours of relentless efforts, we intercepted them near Koratty and rescued the infant.”
DySP Rajesh, who led the operation, explains that the motive behind the abduction stemmed from a financial dispute. “The complainant and the accused transgender person had previous financial dealings,” he says.
“Upon learning that the woman was leaving for her hometown, the accused, suspecting that she would be cheated, planned the kidnapping.”
The kidnappers, apparently, intended to take the child out of Kerala after reaching Thrissur. The suspects were later produced in court and remanded, while the rescued child and the mother are in good health, the officer adds.
Rajesh notes that Aluva has witnessed a “steady rise” in cases involving missing minors. “This is a serious issue,” he adds. “In the wake of the recent child murder case in Aluva, a quick-action squad has been formed to act swiftly in such cases.”
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