Minor abducted from Panipat traced to Ludhiana; accused arrested

In a swift operation, Panipat police rescued a nine-year-old girl within 18 hours of her abduction and arrested the kidnapper from Ludhiana, Punjab, on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Joginder, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, police said. He will be produced in court on Sunday.

DSP Headquarters Satish Vats said the father of the girl, a native of Ayodhya district, lodged a complaint on Friday afternoon, reporting that his daughter had gone missing under suspicious circumstances.

The family had been living in a rented accommodation in a village under the jurisdiction of the Old Industrial Police Station for the past two months. Both parents work at a local factory.

Acting on the complaint, SP Bhupender Singh handed over the investigation to SI Sandeep, Incharge CIA-1, with instructions to trace the girl immediately.

The police team scanned over 50 CCTV cameras installed along possible routes. One clip showed a youth with the girl in an e-rickshaw. Further tracking at the bus stand, railway station and toll plaza revealed the accused taking the child away.

“Based on the CCTV trail, a joint team of police managed to trace the girl to Ludhiana, where she was recovered and the accused was arrested,” DSP Vats said.

During preliminary questioning, Joginder admitted he had lured the girl with the promise of giving her eatables, the DSP added. The accused will be produced in the court tomorrow, police said.