Girl kidnapped by dad’s friend in Virudhunagar, rescued

VIRUDHUNAGAR: A one-and-a-half-year-old girl who was kidnapped by her father’s friend was traced and

rescued

by the

Virudhunagar

district police within a few hours of the incident.

The girl was identified as R Darshini from

Aathumedu

near Sivanthipuram in Virudhunagar town. Police said the prime accused, identified as Venkatesh, was a close friend of the girl’s father Raj Thilak. Venkatesh is known well to Thilak’s wife

Kangalakshmi

also. Venkatesh had gone to Thilak’s house on Tuesday morning when he was not present and taken the girl after informing her mother that her husband wanted him to bring the child.

When Thilak came to know that Venkatesh had taken his child, he approached the

Virudhunagar East

police station.

He told police that Venkatesh had hatched a plan to kidnap a dhal mill owner’s child for ransom. He had sought Thilak’s help as he was working as an accountant in the mill and is close to the family members of the owner.

Thilak who was initially lured by the plan, was assigned to kidnap the girl from her school. As he pulled out in the last minute, Venkatesh kidnapped his daughter. However, sensing that police were after him, Venkatesh left the girl in a secluded place and escaped.