KOLLAM: Some vital pieces of evidence that the investigation team accessed with public support helped police in their attempts to crack the Abigel Sara Reji abduction case. While the sketches of the suspects were a vital thread, the ransom call by Anitha Kumari demanding Rs 10 lakh helped officers tie the case together.
Abdul Samad, a social worker from Kollam, played a key role in their efforts. “After the ransom call was aired on television channels, a friend shared a WhatsApp voice message of a woman seeking a loan of Rs 20,000. He noted that the two voices were eerily similar. I immediately contacted inspector Vipin and shared the information,” Samad told TNIE.
Further probe confirmed that the voice was that of Anitha Kumari, the proprietor of a bakery in Chathannoor. ADGP Ajith Kumar, who is leading the investigation, emphasised the significance of identifying the person behind the voice.
“Identifying the accused from her voice allowed us to pinpoint her residence and vehicle details. We checked the tower location of her phone and found that she was present near Ashramam Maidanam around the time she dropped the child off. From there, Anitha and the child made it to the ground in an auto-rickshaw. Padmakumar followed the auto. After releasing the child, the two reached Bishop Jerome junction in a blue car, and then made their way to their home,’’ the ADGP said.
Third accused in case a YouTuber
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anupama P, the 20-year-old daughter of K R Padmakumar and M R Anitha Kumari, who has been named third accused in the Oyoor kidnapping case, is a YouTuber with 5.12 lakh subscribers. The ‘Anupama Pathman’ YouTube channel generated monthly revenue of Rs 3.8-5 lakh till July this year. She focused on reaction videos and shorts of many viral videos involving film and fashion celebrities from around the world.
American TV celebrity Kim Kardashian was a favourite. She also uploaded beauty care videos. She used English to communicate in most of her 381 videos. The last video was posted on November 5.
Anupama was also active on Instagram, posting reels and photos, and has more than 17,000 followers on the platform. She also has a website, www.anupamapathman.com, which focuses on dog rescue and adoption. She had many pet dogs. With her knowledge of canine diseases, she was known to rescue sick and mistreated dogs.
Ridden with debt, the family survived on the income from her YouTube channel, said M R Ajith Kumar, ADGP (law and order).
However, the income stream dried up when YouTube demonetised videos in July. Unlawful use of copyrighted material usually invites demonetisation, which results in videos – and sometimes entire YouTube channels – losing the ability to earn advertising revenue. Anupama had posted videos to which she had no copyright.
Though she tried to upload more videos, they did not generate any income. This prompted the family to take to crime, Ajith Kumar told reporters on Saturday.
After completing plus-two, Anupama enroled for BSc computer science in distance learning mode. She also had plans to pursue LLB. Many of her videos featured the family’s farmhouse in Chirakkara, Kollam. She also posted a video seeking public donation to start a dog shelter.
Survived on income from her channel
Ridden with debt, the family survived on the income from her YouTube channel. However, the income stream dried up when YouTube demonetised videos in July. Though she tried to upload more videos, they did not generate any income. This prompted the family to take to crime, said M R Ajith Kumar, ADGP (law and order)