Mangaluru: Kidnapped toddler rescued within 2 hours, accused arrested

Mangaluru: A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was kidnapped while playing near Padil in the city. However, the Kankanadi Town police swiftly arrested the accused within two hours of the complaint.

The accused, identified as Anish Kumar (59) from Tatapilly, Ernakulam district, Kerala.

The victim, is the daughter of a couple from Shiggaon in Haveri working in the nursery area of the Forest Department near Padil and residing in a workers’ shed. The incident occurred when the girl, and another girl were playing nearby on Saturday August 31. Around 4:30 PM, the mother noticed that her daughter was missing. After searching in various places, the family lodged a complaint with the Kankanady Town police around 7:30 PM.

The police immediately launched an operation, reviewing CCTV footage from the railway station. In the footage, a man was seen taking the girl with him. The information was quickly relayed to the Kasaragod police.

Mangaluru police, in coordination with Kasaragod police, successfully apprehended the accused along with the child at around 9:30 PM. The girl was found safe and handed over to her parents. The accused has been charged with kidnapping and remanded to judicial custody.

Police said that Anish Kumar confessed to the crime. He had three sons but no daughters. When he saw the girl, she smiled at him. He claimed that he picked her up and left with her.

Anish Kumar, who frequently travels by train, had recently visited Mumbai before arriving at Mangaluru Junction railway station on Saturday. There is no record of any prior criminal cases against him, police sources said.