KOLLAM: A six-year-old girl was kidnapped allegedly by a four-member gang from Oyoor in Kollam on Monday. Abigel Sara Reji was reportedly dragged into a car by abductors while she was on her way to a tuition centre near her home around 4.30 pm. Abigel’s eight-year-old brother was with her when the incident occurred. Though the kidnappers tried to abduct him as well, the boy escaped with minor injuries.
Around three hours after the child went missing, her mother received a call on her phone — from a woman — demanding a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for the girl’s release, said police. Later, around 9.30 pm, the mother reportedly got another call demanding Rs 10 lakh. It’s learnt that the callers assured the family that the child is safe and that they will call again.
The police suspect it to be a targeted kidnapping and have launched a statewide search for the child. The class 2 student of Siddhartha Central School in Kottarakkara, is the daughter of Reji John and Siji John.
According to police, the parents — both nurses — were not at home when the incident took place. The girl’s brother said a white sedan intercepted them at Kattady junction, and Abigel was pulled into the car. “A white car approached the children when they were going to the tuition centre.
They pushed Abigel’s brother to the ground, took her inside the car and fled. We suspect that there were four people, including a woman, in the car. When we enquired, local residents told us that they had noticed a white sedan making runs around our house for the past couple of days. My son also sustained leg injuries after he was dragged by the assailants. They assaulted him,” Abigel’s father told TNIE.
‘Checking CCTV visuals; detailed probe on to find child’
The Pooyappally police have launched an investigation based on the parents’ complaint. CCTV footage from the location is being examined and police are collecting additional information from local residents. Pooyappally sub-inspector Anil Kumar said, “Currently, we are examining the CCTV visuals from the location. Based on the initial investigation, the abductors came in a white sedan. However, we have to probe further to get a clear picture of the incident. Moreover, the number of cars is not clear. We have initiated a detailed investigation,’’ he said.
“Around three-and-a-half hours after the incident, the girl’s mother, Siji, received a call demanding `5-lakh ransom for Abigel’s release,” a friend of the girl’s father said.
According to police, the call was reportedly made from a grocery shop at Paripally in Kollam. A man and a woman who arrived at the shop in an autorickshaw requested a woman at the shop to lend them a phone. Authorities suspect that the ransom call was made using this phone. The investigation is now underway, focusing on both the shop and the local residents of Paripally, said officials.
“Around 7:20 pm, a man, appearing to be in his mid-40s, and a woman, of around 35 years old, arrived at the shop in an autorickshaw. They asked for a packet of biscuits. During the mutual conversation, the man mentioned that he had forgotten to take his mobile phone. Consequently, they borrowed my wife’s phone and moved away from the shop to make a call. The man was wearing a shirt and khaki pants. The woman wore a green churidar and a black shawl. After purchasing biscuits, they left the shop. I became aware of the incident when contacted by the Paripally Circle inspector,” Jyothi Kumar, the owner of the shop said. He said they proceeded towards the Pallikal side in the autorickshaw.
Police are analysing phone records and carrying out searches for more details on the ransom call. Additionally, vehicle checks have been intensified at district borders, including Kollam, Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Thiruvananthapuram, as part of efforts to locate the car. Vehicle inspections along the highways and checkings at bus stands and railway stations continued late at night. The police have opened a special control room at the state police headquarters in connection with the case.