Couple, YouTuber Daughter Arrested In Kerala For Kidnapping 6-Year-Old Girl For Ransom
The Kerala Police on Friday arrested three people in connection with the sensational abduction of six-year-old Abigel Sarah Regi on Monday.
The accused, identified as Padmakumar, his wife Anitakumari, and their daughter Anupama, were taken into custody from Tenkasi in Tamil Nadu.
What is the case?
According to the Kollam Police, 52-year-old Padmakumar, who ran some business locally and owned a farm, had amassed a massive debt. The accused allegedly planned the kidnapping to raise some money to pay off his debts.
Police believe that the accused had been planning the abduction for months and could have targeted more children.
On Monday evening, Abigel and her eight-year-old brother Jonathan were walking home in Oyoor near Kollam after tuitions when the accused, on a white Maruti Dzire, kidnapped her.
The accused also pushed Abigel's brother down after he tried to save his sister.
How social media foiled plans of kidnappers
While the accused, who were travelling in a car with a fake number plate, managed to flee, the news of the daylight kidnapping spread like wildfire, and the photos of the car and the missing girl were also widely circulated on social media.
In the evening, Abigel's mother, Siji, received a call from a woman, whom later police identified as one of the accused, Anitakumari, demanding Rs 5 lakh as ransom for the girl's release.
Hours later, she received another phone call, and this time, the amount the captors had demanded for Abigel's release had doubled to Rs 10 lakhs.
However, with the police on their heels, on Tuesday, November 28, nearly a day after Abigel was kidnapped, the accused abandoned her near Asramam Maidan in Kollam.
How the case was cracked
Based on the description by Abigel, the Kerala Police prepared the sketches of the three accused and also expanded their search to neighbouring districts for the accused.
With the help of CCTV and other surveillance, the trio was identified and arrested on Friday.
The police have also seized two cars and an auto rickshaw, believed to be used in the crime, into custody.
What the accused said
Initially, Padmakumar tried to mislead the police, claiming that his wife and daughter were not involved in the crime.?
Padmakumar had also claimed that he had some financial dealings with Abigel's father, Regi and that he kidnapped the girl after he did not pay back some Rs 5 lakhs that were paid to get his daughter a nursing admission.
But he failed to substantiate these claims, and on detailed questioning, Padmakumar admitted that the girl was abducted to pay off his nearly Rs 2 crore debts.
YouTuber, animal lover and child kidnapper!
According to the police, the third accused in the case, the couple's 20-year-old daughter Anupama Patman, is a YouTuber with nearly 5 lakh subscribers.
On her website, Anupama Patman identified herself as a YouTuber, a student, and an animal lover. According to her website, the family has been taking care of 27 dogs and even had sought donations to take care of them.
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