Synopsis
On April 15, Odisha Police successfully rescued a two-year-old child of a visually impaired mother who was abducted by a 27-year-old man near Ram Mandir. The police have apprehended the kidnapper and another woman involved in the case.Key Takeaways
- The Odisha Police rescued a two-year-old child from a kidnapper.
- The child is the offspring of a visually impaired woman.
- A total of four police teams were formed for the rescue operation.
- The situation raised concerns about potential child trafficking.
- The accused has a history of criminal activities.
Bhubaneswar, April 15 (NationPress) The Odisha Commissionerate Police has successfully rescued a two-year-old child of a Person with Disability (PwD) mother, who was abducted by a 27-year-old kidnapper near the Ram Mandir in the Unit-III area under the Kharavela Nagar police jurisdiction during the night of April 12 and 13.
The authorities also apprehended the suspected kidnapper and took another woman into custody related to the incident.
In a press briefing, Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh stated that the child of a visually impaired woman has been rescued and will soon be reunited with her mother.
“The individual implicated in the abduction has been captured. The kidnapping of a poor, visually impaired woman's son has left the community in shock. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi instructed the police to secure the child's safe return promptly and bring those responsible to justice. The Chief Minister’s Office has also granted the police permission to seek any assistance necessary for the rescue,” Singh mentioned.
He noted that the rescue mission was challenging due to a lack of leads, and there were concerns that the toddler may have been trafficked.
Singh elaborated that four teams were formed to locate the child and apprehend the kidnappers, and the toddler was ultimately rescued from another woman in the Khantapada area of Balasore district on Monday night following a well-coordinated operation.
“Subsequently, a team from the Commissionerate police arrested the kidnapper Kedarsan Panda in Puri. The woman, Jhelam Rani Panda, from whom the child was recovered, is currently being interrogated to determine whether she intended to adopt or sell the child,” he stated.
He further revealed that Jhelam has two daughters and a son aged 9, who is reportedly facing serious health issues.
“During questioning, she claimed she wished to adopt an orphan child, believing that her noble intentions and blessings would help her son recover. Her claims are under investigation,” Singh added.
Additionally, the police discovered that the accused kidnapper was linked to three motorcycle thefts in both Bhubaneswar and Jajpur district.
Singh stated that Kedarsan had previously worked as a delivery person in Bengaluru for Zomato and Swiggy, while Jhelam’s husband also held a security guard position there.
“About a month ago, Kedarsan met Jhelam over the phone, and later arranged to meet her after returning to Odisha,” he noted.
He also mentioned that Janati Mallick, also known as Laxmi, a visually impaired woman, along with her seven-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, reside in a Kanyaashram at Niladri Vihar in the Chandrasekharpur area of Bhubaneswar.
“She earned a living by begging outside the Ram Mandir in Unit-III. On April 12, she could not return to the Kanyaashram due to heavy rain and ended up sleeping outside the temple. The accused, Kedarsan, approached her and played with her children before abducting the toddler,” Singh concluded.
