E-rickshaw drivers foil attempt to abduct eight-year-old girl in Khoda, one arrested

The suspects told the drivers they were taking the child to school. When they pointed out that the girl was not in uniform and had no schoolbag, the two fled

The quick intervention by a group of e-rickshaw drivers helped foil an attempt by two men to abduct an eight-year-old girl in Ghaziabad’s Khoda early Tuesday morning, senior police officers said on Wednesday, adding that the prime suspect has been arrested, while a hunt is on to nab the second suspect.

The incident took place at Lok Priya Vihar in Khoda when the girl was returning home from her maternal grandparents’ house nearby around 6.30am. (Representational image)

According to police, the incident took place at Lok Priya Vihar in Khoda when the girl was returning home from her maternal grandparents’ house nearby around 6.30am. Police said the two men allegedly forced her into an auto-rickshaw and sped towards Khoda Pushta on the outskirts of the locality.

“She was forced into the auto and the suspects tied her hands and legs with a cloth. One of them drove the auto while the second one held on to the girl in the rear seat. Just as they were taking her out of Khoda, they got caught in a traffic jam and the auto had to slow down. This was when my daughter started screaming to raise the alarm and also tried to escape the man restraining her,” said Sarfaraz Malik, girl’s father.

He said hearing her cries, a few e-rickshaw drivers intervened and stopped the auto-rickshaw.

“When questioned, the two men told the drivers that they were taking the child to school. When they pointed out that the girl was not in uniform and carried no schoolbag, the two realised they were cornered and immediately sped away in the auto, leaving my daughter behind. The e-rickshaw drivers rescued her and brought her home. They also alerted the police and gave them the registration number of the auto. The timely intervention by e-rickshaw drivers helped save my girl,” Malik said.

The girl is student of class 4 at a private school in Khoda.

The police said on Tuesday evening, they arrested one of the suspects, identified as Satish Narayan, 23, an auto driver who lived in Yadav Chowk in Khoda.

The girl’s family filed a formal complaint and the police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code Section 363 (abduction) at Khoda police station late Tuesday night.

“The prime suspect was arrested and the other suspect will be nabbed soon. They had abducted the girl in their auto and the timely intervention by e-rickshaw drivers helped foil their plans. The girl was handed over to her family,” Bhaskar Verma, officiating assistant commissioner of Indirapuram, said on Wednesday, adding that the girl also identified the prime suspect during an identification parade.