A one-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped while sleeping beside her parents on a pavement in Ranipet has been rescued after 35 days, with police arresting five people in connection with the case.
The toddler was rescued from Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh and reunited with her family, Ranipet district police said in a release. Those arrested include Malleeswari, a childless woman from Renigunta, and four people from Walajah in Ranipet district: B Kausalya, 35, her husband D Boopathi, 42, R Santhosh, 35, and M Kumaran, 30.
According to police, the child’s parents, who earn a living by collecting plastic bottles and begging, had gone to sleep on a pavement in Manickam Nagar, Ranipet, at about 9pm on September 23. When they woke up around 1am the following day, they found that their daughter was missing.
The child’s mother, S Prema, 23, filed a complaint at the Sipcot police station. Ranipet district police then formed five special teams to trace the girl and identify those responsible for her disappearance.
Investigators examined footage from more than 100 CCTV cameras near the location where the child was allegedly taken and along surrounding routes. Police also used technical surveillance during the investigation, according to the release.
The investigation indicated that Malleeswari had told her friend Kausalya that she wanted a baby. Police said Kausalya then informed her husband Boopathi and their neighbour Santhosh about Malleeswari’s desire. Santhosh and Kumaran allegedly took the girl while she was sleeping beside her parents on the pavement and handed her over to Malleeswari.
After tracing the investigation to Andhra Pradesh, a special police team travelled to Renigunta and rescued the child from Malleeswari’s possession. The girl was subsequently reunited with her parents.
The case highlights the vulnerability of families living on city pavements, where the absence of secure shelter can expose children and other household members to heightened risks. The police account does not provide details of any shelter support extended to the family or the child’s condition after the rescue.
Police said a detailed investigation into the alleged network and the sequence of events was still under way. The five arrested people remain central to that investigation, while authorities continue to examine how the child was taken from Ranipet and transported to Andhra Pradesh.
