After 114 days, kidnapped toddler reunited with family in Kancheepuram

A two-year-old girl from a Narikuravar family, who went missing about four months ago from Kancheepuram, was rescued by police and reunited with her family on Tuesday. The cops have arrested one person for allegedly kidnapping the child. Ever since she went missing — 114 days back — her family has been camping outside the Anaikat police station, where she was last seen.

Harini went missing on September 15. She was travelling around Kancheepuram with her parents Venkatesan (25) and Kaliammal, and other relatives, selling beads and handmade pouches. After travelling for a week, they visited the Edaikazhinadu temple and halted that night at Ponjur.

"The family was travelling in a friend's auto rickshaw," says an investigating officer. "They parked the rickshaw near Ponjur bazaar around 10.30 pm on September 14. Around 2 am, Venkatesan noticed his child missing. The family alerted members of the community and lodged a complaint at Anaikat police station."

When the family felt that the cops weren't paying due attention to the case, the set up a temporary settlement in front of the police station and vowed not to leave till their child was found. They received support from a Karur-based NGO, that promised Rs 1 lakh reward for information about the child.

"We got information that the girl was in Mumbai and Kolkata. We sent special teams to those places and found out that they were hoaxes," says Kancheepuram superintendent of police Santhosh Haidmeni. On Monday, however, police received information that a child matching Harini's description was seen at Tiruporur.

The special team rushed to the spot. After a 5-hour-long search, they rescued the child and arrested a man identified as Prakash. Inquiry has revealed that Prakash was in an affair with a woman, whose sister was married and had no children. So Prakash allegedly kidnapped Harini and gave her to his lover's sister.

The couple bought the child for Rs 50,000 but asked Prakash himself to take care of the child. They also gave money for monthly expenses. Prakash was allegedly raising the child at his home. Police are conducting further investigations to ascertain the details.