A three-year-old girl who went missing from the bustling Sakchi market in Jamshedpur while shopping with her parents was rescued from West Bengal's Purulia district nearly two weeks later, police confirmed on Wednesday. A childless couple has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping the child.
Arrest of the Accused
The suspects, identified as Abdul Jaseem alias Lakhan (42) and Afsana Begum (30), residents of Kapali in Seraikela-Kharswan district, were presented before a court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
Details of the Incident
The girl, Afreen, disappeared from Sakchi market on May 26, prompting a large-scale search operation. Her father, Md Imtiyaz, a resident of Hayat Nagar in Dimna Basti, filed a complaint with Sakchi police station on the same day.
Following directives from SSP Piyush Pandey, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police was formed to locate the child. Investigators scrutinized footage from nearly 50 CCTV cameras in and around the market area, in addition to gathering technical and human intelligence and interrogating multiple suspects.
Breakthrough and Rescue
The breakthrough occurred after police tracked leads to Pusty village under Jhalda police station limits in Purulia district. A raid conducted there on Tuesday resulted in the rescue of the child and the arrest of the couple, as stated by SP (City) Lalit Meena.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that they had been childless for the past 10 years and had kidnapped the girl from the crowded market area, taking advantage of the rush.
Police have seized two mobile phones from the accused. The girl was later reunited with her parents after completion of the required formalities.
(With inputs from PTI)
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