Baripada: A four-and-a-half-year-old girl was rescued on Monday morning, a day after she went missing from outside her house in Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district.
According to reports, local residents caught an unknown youth who was seen leaving the child behind the house and trying to flee. Meanwhile, police have detained the youth and started an investigation. The rescued child is said to be completely healthy and has been reunited with her family.
According to police, Mahi Myra Soren alias Siddhi, daughter of Chandamani Soren and Sunil Soren of Jamunadeipur under Ward No. 18 of Baripada Municipality, went missing on Sunday. Siddhi was playing near a sand pile in front of her house after returning from tuition. Her mother went inside to cook and on returning found her daughter missing at around 11 am. After an extensive search in the neighbourhood yielded no result, the family lodged a written complaint at Bhanjpur Police Station.
Acting on the complaint, police formed three teams to trace the child. Local residents spotted an unknown youth leaving the child behind her house and attempting to flee on Monday morning. The locals overpowered him and alerted the girl’s mother. Police were informed immediately and took the youth into custody.
Police suspect that the accused left the child near her home out of panic after the news of her disappearance spread and a search was launched. The youth has been detained and is being interrogated.
Police are verifying his antecedents, his motive for taking the child, and where he kept her for a day.
Meanwhile, the kidnapped family has expressed gratitude to the police, local residents and the media for their support in tracing the child.
