Missing Andhra toddler: Dolls used as lure in 10-day search
Synopsis
With a two-year-old still missing after 10 days in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district, search teams have resorted to planting meat-filled dolls resembling the child to detect wild animals — a measure that underscores how desperate and unconventional this search has become. The death of the family's GPS-tracked pet dog adds a layer of mystery that authorities have yet to explain.
Key Takeaways
Sunkara Gnaneswari , aged 2 , has been missing since 6 June from a palm oil plantation in Kakinada district , Andhra Pradesh.
Authorities planted two dolls filled with meat near the plantation to detect wild animal presence, monitored via camera traps .
More than 400 personnel , including NDRF and SDRF teams, are involved in the search; thermal drones are also deployed.
The family's pet dog, fitted with a GPS tracker on 12 June , walked nearly 80 km before dying on 13 June under unexplained circumstances.
The district administration has announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to the child's recovery.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Home Minister V.
Anitha directed NDRF deployment into the operation.
A two-year-old girl, Sunkara Gnaneswari, has remained missing for more than 10 days from a palm oil plantation in Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh, prompting authorities to deploy an unusual tactic — planting human-like dolls fitted with meat to detect the presence of wild animals in the area. The child was last seen on 6 June at Ch. Agraharam in Tuni mandal.
The Doll Tactic Explained
Search teams from the police and forest department have placed two dolls resembling the missing child near the plantation. Meat has been inserted into the dolls to attract wild animals, and camera traps have been set up around them to monitor any movement. Officials suspect wild animals may have harmed the child, though no physical evidence has yet been found to confirm this theory.
Scale of the Search Operation
More than 400 personnel are currently involved in the search. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the operation on Sunday following directions from Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Home Minister V. Anitha. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had already been participating. Thermal drones are also being deployed across the plantation and surrounding orchards. The district administration has announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for anyone providing credible clues leading to the child's recovery.
The Pet Dog's Mysterious Death
The mystery deepened on 13 June when the family's pet dog — which had accompanied Gnaneswari when she disappeared — died after returning home. The dog had come back on 9 June without the girl and had reportedly been behaving erratically and refusing food since its return. Authorities had fitted the dog with a GPS tracker on 12 June in the hope that its movements would lead them to the child. According to officials, the dog walked nearly 80 km through the orchards before dying. Authorities suspect it may have contracted a virus, though no confirmation has been issued.
How Gnaneswari Went Missing
Gnaneswari had accompanied her parents, Sunkara Ganesh and Bhavani, who work as caretakers of the palm oil plantation. The child went missing due to a miscommunication — on returning home, the couple realised neither had brought her back from the plantation. That evening, a villager reportedly spotted the girl near a hill with her dog, but the dog barked and prevented him from approaching her. The family lodged a complaint with Tuni police the following day, and a large-scale search was launched.
What Comes Next
With no confirmed trace of the child after more than 10 days, the search has grown in both scale and desperation. Authorities continue to monitor camera traps around the doll installations and analyse drone footage. The outcome of the GPS-tracked dog's final route is also being studied. The district administration remains under pressure to provide answers to the family and the public.
Point of View
Even without physical evidence. The death of the GPS-tracked dog, which covered 80 km through dense orchards, is the operation's most significant unresolved thread: if the dog's route data is properly analysed, it could narrow the search zone considerably. That this data has apparently not yet yielded results points to either terrain complexity or a gap in analytical capacity on the ground. Ten days without a trace in a bounded plantation area also raises questions about whether the initial 24-hour response was swift enough.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sunkara Gnaneswari and when did she go missing?
Sunkara Gnaneswari is a two-year-old girl from Ch. Agraharam in Tuni mandal, Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh. She went missing on 6 June from a palm oil plantation where her parents work as caretakers, after a miscommunication led both parents to assume the other had brought her home.
Why are dolls being used in the search operation?
Authorities have planted two dolls resembling the missing child, filled with meat, near the plantation to detect the presence of wild animals. Camera traps are monitoring the dolls around the clock, as officials suspect a wild animal may have harmed the child, though no physical evidence has confirmed this.
What happened to the family's pet dog?
The pet dog, which was with Gnaneswari when she disappeared, returned home on 9 June without the girl. It was fitted with a GPS tracker on 12 June and reportedly walked nearly 80 km through surrounding orchards before dying on 13 June. Officials suspect it may have contracted a virus, but no official confirmation has been issued.
How many personnel are involved in the search?
More than 400 personnel are involved, including teams from the police, forest department, NDRF, and SDRF. Thermal drones are also being used. The NDRF was deployed on Sunday following directions from Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Home Minister V. Anitha.
Is there a reward for information about the missing child?
Yes, the district administration has announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for anyone who provides credible information or clues leading to the recovery of Sunkara Gnaneswari.
