THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Unable to fathom what exactly led to the mysterious disappearance of a two-year-old girl from Chakkai, the cops are now treating it as a kidnapping case and have begun collecting details of the seasoned criminals who either hail from that locality or frequent the place.
Though they have not yet come across any solid evidence suggesting the girl was kidnapped, what gives currency to the police assessment is that it’s almost impossible for a toddler on her own to reach the spot from where she was traced on Monday evening. The girl was found from a drain located in the back side of the Brahmos Aerospace campus, which cannot be accessed by road. To reach the spot from the place where the girl went missing, one needs to traverse a heavy undergrowth for about 600m.
The police sources said they are collecting the mobile tower locations of habitual offenders who know the topography well. “Since we are probing the kidnapping angle, we are sure that only those who know the locality well alone can take the kid to that spot. So we are tracking the tower locations of the habitual offenders to check whether any of them were involved in the case,” said a senior officer.
The police are also collecting details of the drug abusers from the locality as they assemble for intoxication in such remote spots, which are inaccessible to outsiders. A police source said the lack of CCTV cameras in the locality affected the probe. “The area is like a CCTV shadow region. So we have to collect information via other means,” the source added.
The police are also collecting information about the local residents, who use a water body located close to the drain, for washing clothes.
Apart from the local people, that water source is also used by vagabonds who camp in nearby places. They are also pinning their hopes on the child to deliver some useful information. The child is now undergoing treatment at the SAT Hospital. Upon discharge, she will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee, following which her statement will be recorded.
Pinning hopes on child
Police are pinning their hopes on the child to deliver useful information. The child is now undergoing treatment at the SAT Hospital. Upon discharge, she will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee, following which her statement will be recorded.