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Ludhiana: Infant goes missing from house, found after 15 hours in vacant plot
Police suspect the child may have been thrown from the terrace of the two-storey house, possibly by someone known to the family; the toddler miraculously survived
Panic gripped New Kartar Nagar on Thursday after a seven-month-old girl, who went missing under mysterious circumstances from her home, was found nearly 15 hours later in a nearby vacant plot. The infant, identified as Divyanshi, was discovered lying amid dense vegetation behind her house, with minor injuries but miraculously alive. The toddler was immediately rushed to a hospital for medical care. Police suspect the child may have been thrown from the terrace of the two-storey house, possibly by someone known to the family.
The child, the youngest of three sisters, was reported missing around 3:30 am on Wednesday. According to the family, she had been sleeping with her mother and siblings when the couple’s elder daughter fell off the bed and began crying, waking the mother. It was then that Divyanshi was discovered missing. The room’s door was found ajar, and the lights were still on.
The family immediately raised an alarm, and an extensive search was launched in the neighborhood. Surprisingly, despite a morning search by residents and police in the vacant plot behind the house, the baby was only found later in the evening. Police said thick vegetation in the area might have concealed her from view.
Divyanshi’s father Gurpreet Singh, who runs a hotel business and was out of town, said he received a call from his wife around 4 am informing him of the disappearance. He stated that the family usually keeps the terrace door locked, especially because a mentally unstable relative resides upstairs, but the door had been accidentally left open that night.
Following the complaint, police began scanning CCTV footage from the area. Three individuals seen near the house were initially suspected, but they were later identified as local residents dumping garbage.
Inspector Balwinder Singh, SHO of Model Town police station, confirmed that the case is being thoroughly investigated. “We’re looking into all possible angles, including statements suggesting the involvement of acquaintance. We have collected CCTV footage and are reviewing mobile call records, but nothing suspicious was found in it.”
“We have collected CCTV footage and are examining mobile call records. So far, nothing suspicious has emerged, but the investigation is ongoing,” said inspector Singh. “We are committed to solving this case at the earliest,” he added.
The incident has left residents of the gated colony disturbed. “This has shaken us. We never imagined something like this could happen in a secure colony,” said Ramesh Mahajan, a neighbour.
Police have not ruled out foul play and are continuing to question family members and acquaintances as part of their probe.
