Jharkhand Police are offering a substantial reward as they intensify the search for a missing 18-month-old girl from Ranchi, amid conflicting reports of an accidental fall and a ransom demand.
Key Points
- Jharkhand Police offer Rs 50,000 reward for information on missing 18-month-old girl from Ranchi.
- Police suspect the toddler may have fallen into a drain near her house, launching a search operation.
- Family claims to have received a ransom call, suggesting a possible abduction.
- Chief Minister Hemant Soren has directed Ranchi police to intensify efforts to find the missing girl.
- An NDRF team is assisting in the search operation near the girl's residence in Khorha Colony.
Jharkhand Police on Monday announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information on the whereabouts of an 18-month-old girl who went missing from her house at Khorha Colony here two days ago, officials said.
The toddler went missing around 4.30 pm on Saturday.
Police Investigation Into Missing Toddler Case
"After receiving information about the incident, police conducted a thorough search, but they could not trace her," said Kuldeep Kumar, the officer-in-charge of Sadar police station.
It is suspected that the girl might have fallen into a drain that flows near the house, Kumar said.
"After analysing the CCTV footage installed outside the house, it has come to light that the girl did not step out of her house on the day of the incident. The house is located only six feet away from the open drain, and some people have been deployed to check the drain," Ranchi City SP Paras Rana told PTI.
Family Claims Ransom Demand
Police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information about her. Several police stations are on alert, and raids are also being conducted at various locations to trace her, Rana said.
He asserted that the girl had not been abducted.
The family, however, claimed that they had received a call from unknown people who demanded a ransom of Rs 12,000 for releasing the girl.
Political Involvement and Search Efforts
Jharkhand BJP state president Aditya Sahu met the victim's family and assured them of recovering the girl safely.
"After meeting the girl's family, it has come to light that some miscreants might have abducted the girl. The culprits are openly showing the girl on the phone via video call and threatening the family," Sahu claimed.
"I am giving police a deadline of 36 hours to rescue the girl from the clutches of the miscreants and hand her over to her family. If police do not recover the girl within the deadline, every party worker will stage a protest here," he said.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren took cognisance of the matter and directed Ranchi police to intensify efforts to trace the girl.
Meanwhile, an NDRF team has launched a search operation near the girl's house to trace her.
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