A five-year-old girl was rescued by her parents and neighbours after she was abducted from a Ganesha pandal in Chamundipura Layout, Ramanagara, late Sunday evening. After the aduction, the quick actions of the community helped rescue and thwart any untoward incidents during the Ganesh procession.
The incident unfolded when the child went missing near the place where the Ganesh festival was being celebrated. Her father, Santhosh, was initially helping the people with managing the pandal and the devotees. After sometime, once he completed his work, he quickly realized that his daughter was not around and immediately mobilised local residents to help search for her.
However, during the search, the girl's father received a WhatsApp call demanding ransom for the release of his daughter. Later, a CCTV footage from the spot also showed the girl walking towards an under-construction building along with the youth.
Based on the clue and tipoff of the residents, they searched a warehouse near the pandal, where they discovered the girl bound and her mouth concealed. They immediately informed the police and the alleged kidnapper, 22-year-old Darshan, a local painter, was apprehended at the scene, as per a report on Deccan Herald.
Police revealed that Darshan had kidnapped the girl with the intent of demanding ransom to fund his drug addiction. He had threatened the child's parents through internet calls, demanding money and warning them not to contact the police.
Local residents, who had observed suspicious behaviour around the time the girl was aducted, reportedly played a crucial role in the rescue. They provided the information that led to the girl's safe recovery and Darshan's arrest.
An FIR has been filed against Darshan, and he has been taken into custody.