11-year-old girl kidnapped for ransom in Ghaziabad

An 11-year-old girl from a locality under the jurisdiction of Nandgram police station in Ghaziabad was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men for a ransom of ₹30 lakh on Sunday afternoon, police said on Monday, adding that they have formed multiple teams to trace the suspects and rescue the girl

An 11-year-old girl from a locality under the jurisdiction of Nandgram police station in Ghaziabad was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men for a ransom of ₹30 lakh on Sunday afternoon, police said on Monday, adding that they have formed multiple teams to trace the suspects and rescue the girl.

11-year-old girl kidnapped for ransom in Ghaziabad

An FIR under Section 364A (kidnapping for ransom) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at Nandgram police station based on a complaint given by the girl’s father, police said.

According to the police, on Sunday afternoon, the girl’s father, who lives in Haryana’s Sonepat, arrived in Ghaziabad and told police that he received two ransom calls earlier in the day from unidentified persons seeking a ransom of ₹30 lakh to safely release his daughter, whom they had allegedly kidnapped.

Police said the girl lives with her maternal grandparents in Ghaziabad, while her parents and two minor brothers reside in Sonepat. The girl was alone in the house on Sunday after her grandparents went out to the local market, police said.

The girl’s father, who works as a construction contractor, said, “I received a call at 1.42pm Sunday from an unidentified caller who told me the name of my daughter and asked me to confirm whether I am her father. After I replied in the affirmative, he said that my daughter was with him and he asked me to pay ₹30 lakh within three days. He also said he will call again. The next call came at 3.35pm and he again demanded ₹30 lakh for her release. When I tried to quiz him more, he disconnected the call,” he said.

“Thereafter, I called up my brother-in-lawin Ghaziabad and asked about my daughter. He said she was missing for the past several hours and they were frantically searching for her. I rushed to Ghaziabad and informed police about the whole incident,” the minor’s father added.

Based on the father’s complaint, the Ghaziabad police registered an FIR and formed several teams to trace the missing girl.

“We have formed five teams and are trying our best to trace the suspect(s). A search operation is also underway in nearby areas and it is likely that we may get some clues soon. The priority is to ensure the girl’s safe return. Her father received two calls from the same number and the caller demanded ₹30 lakh. We are also investigating the role of locals,” said Alok Dubey, circle officer (city 2).

“The five teams also include one from the Ghaziabad crime branch. No ransom call was received by the girl’s family on Monday,” CO Dubey added.