KOLLAM: The probe into the abduction of a six-year-old girl from Oyoor on Monday is yet to yield results even as the investigators have extended their manhunt across the state. Police managed to release the sketch of the kidnapper, but no breakthrough has been achieved even 20 hours after the shocking incident, which has sent ripples in the society.
On Tuesday morning, three men were picked up for questioning from Thiruvananthapuram. Though initial reports hinted that their detention could be in connection with the kidnapping case, the police later clarified that they were not involved in the incident.
The police raided a car washing center at Sreekanteswaram in Thiruvananthapuram by around 6.30 am. Three individuals, including the car washing center owner Pratheesh and a Sreekaryam native, were taken into custody. Reports indicate that police found 19 bundles of Rs 500 in a bag at the center, which comes to the tune of about Rs 7.5 lakh.
"As we intensified the search for the child, we came across these men, some of them having criminal antecedents. They are not involved in this crime, but we took them in for some other cases," said a police officer.
Though the police are giving pan-Kerala attention to the case, Kollam and neighboring districts remain keenly watched by the police. In addition to Paripally and Pullikkal, which are in Kollam, the police have extended their investigation to inter-state border areas in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts as well.
South Zone IG Sparjan Kumar had earlier said that the investigation is being pursued from all angles. The police have identified a white Desire car in CCTV footage, though confirmation of its connection to the abduction is pending. The proof revealed that a fake number plate was used by the kidnappers while committing the offense.
Abigail Sara Reji, a resident of Ayoor, was reportedly abducted on Monday at 4:30 p.m. while en route to a tuition class with her eight-year-old brother.