Abduction case of six-year-old girl in Kollam; crimes punishable by death; charge sheet filed against accused

KOLLAM: The District Rural Crime Branch has filed a charge sheet against the accused in the case of the abduction of the six-year-old girl in Oyoor. The accused in the case are KR Padmakumar (52), wife MR Anithakumari (45) and daughter P Anupama (20) of Mampallikunnam, Chathannoor Kavitharaj. They have been charged with crimes punishable by death. The charge sheet was filed in the Kottarakkara court.

It is said in the charge sheet that the conspiracy to settle the financial liability of five crore rupees started in 2021 and the kidnapping took place after this. The main finding in the charge sheet is that the child was kidnapped and threatened to a fear of death and a ransom of Rs 10 lakh was demanded. A case has also been registered against the accused under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The suspects had planned to kidnap other children as well if kidnapping the child in Oyoor was successful. The child was abducted and kept in custody to settle the financial debt. The six-year-old girl's brother is the only eyewitness in the case and there are 160 witnesses. The charge sheet states that 150 pieces of evidence, laptop, mobile phone and CCTV footage were also collected.

Scientific examination found that it was Anithakumari who called the child's mother demanding the ransom. Other scientific test results are pending.

The charge sheet was filed on the 72nd day after the child was kidnapped. The case was investigated by a 13-member team headed by District Crime Branch DySP MM Jose. Meanwhile, the accused who are lodged in Thiruvananthapuram jail are yet to apply for bail.