The Tamil Nadu police on Thursday morning rescued a minor aged 5 from a man in Kaliyakkavilai. The child had reportedly gone missing from Bengaluru city in Karnataka and the police found the child in the custody of the man, identified as Joseph John, a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the Kaliyakkavilai police, in Kanyakumari, the man was questioned after he was spotted standing with the two children at the bus stand. The younger child was found to be crying incessantly. When the police officers on patrol duty questioned the man, they became suspicious that the kids were not his own, but were abducted. It later turned out that the 8-year old boy was Joseph's child, but the girl was not his.
It was found that a complaint had been lodged a few weeks ago at the Upparpet police station in Bengaluru by the family, who said that their girl child named Lokitha had gone missing after she went to play with another child at the Majestic bus station. The station confirmed to TNM that they have recieved a call from Kanyakumari police saying that the child has been found. Police said that the motive behind the kidnapping in not yet known as the parents did not recieve a ransom call.
The man travelled with the child from Karnataka to Kaliyakkavilai, which is less than 50 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, where he reportedly hails from. The accused had carried out the abduction with the help of a woman identified as Esther. The Kaliyakkavilai station inspector also confirmed to TNM that the minors was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee from where she will now be sent to the custody of the Karnataka police and eventually handed over to her parents.
Meanwhile, a case has also been registered in Upparpet in Karnataka, against the accused persons in the case.