The One Town police, who rescued six-year-old Sivam Kumar Sahu, who was allegedly abducted by a person from Alipiri link bus station in Tirupati, are observing the CCTV footages at Sri Durga Malleswaraswamy Vaarla Devastanam and the neighbouring areas to identify the accused.
Police suspect that the abductors travelled by bus or train to Vijayawada, and reached the temple area. They abandoned the boy at Seethammavari Padalu around 11 a.m, and escaped. Investigation officers are verifying the surveillance cameras in bus and railway stations too.
“Sahu, who was seen calm, had lunch in the afternoon. He spoke in Hindi. When asked about the kidnappers, the boy was telling that he was brought to Vijayawada from Bengaluru. We suspect that the kidnappers gang might have taken the boy to Bengaluru,” said a police officer.
The abductors tonsured the boy to hide his identity, the police said.
“With the Alipiri police circulated the boy’s photo across Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring States, and the photograph of Sahu published in some newspapers, the kidnappers might have tonsured the boy’s head to avoid identifying him,” an investigation officer said.
“As the boy appeared cool and without any fear, we suspect that some known persons might have kidnapped Sahu, and the accused took care of the boy well. Due to fear and to prevent any further trouble, the kidnappers might have fled leaving the boy near the Kanaka Durga temple,” the officer said.
Chhattisgarh police alerted
The One Town police, who confirmed that the rescued boy was Sahu (with the Alipiri police and his parents) spoke to the Chhattisgarh police (the native place of the boy).
“We will hand over Sahu to his parents through Alipiri police, in the presence of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members and the Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Department personnel, after verifying the Aadhar and ration cards and the family photos on Sunday,” said One Town CI P. Venkateshwarlu.
Meanwhile, rumours spread that police rounded up the kidnappers and rescued the boy.
Published - March 14, 2021 12:50 am IST