Passersby foil kidnapping bid in P’kula

Hina Rohtaki

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, November

A bid to kidnap a nine-year-old girl was foiled when alert passersby on noticing shrieks of the victim's 11-year-old brother, bashed up the alleged kidnapper before handing him over to the police.

The victim, Kaajal (9) was walking towards her school in Kundi village along with her 11 –year-old brother, Shivam, when the incident occurred.

The alleged kidnapper has been identified as 40 year-old Pawan Singh Pundhir, a resident of Dhakoli in Zirakpur, who claimed to have been a retired technician from the Air Force.The passersby told the police that the accused was forcing the girl into the car when he was caught and beaten up.

“Both the brother and sister were crossing the road to go to their school when the accused stopped his Alto car near them and offered to give them a lift,”said Inspector Surinder Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Sector 20 police station.

The children refused to take the lift stating that they would go on their own but Pawan tried to pressurised them. “When the children refused again, Pawan held the hand of the victim girl and tried to push her inside the vehicle. It was then that Shivam cried for help,” added the official.

The police are suspecting physical abuse to be the motive behind the attempt. “The accused has a marital discord and is not staying with his wife and children,”said the SHO.

“I am thankful to vigilant passersby who saved my daughter. The man could have done anything,” said Accha Lal, father of the victim.

A case of attempt to kidnapping has been lodged against the accused at the Sector 20 police station on the complaint of the father,”said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hamid Akhtar.