An alleged attempt to kidnap a toddler in broad daylight was foiled by the timely intervention of the local people in Nedumbassery panchayat on Thursday.
The police arrested one Lohiram Naik, 42, from Assam on the charge of attempting to run away with a one-and-a-half-year-old child after assaulting its grandmother.
The attempt was foiled after the local people rushed to the scene on hearing a commotion and overpowered him before handing him over to the police.
Investigation on
The police have launched a detailed probe to find out whether he was part of any racket engaged in kidnapping children.
According to the police, around 1.30 p.m., the accused forced his way into the house located in the 18th ward of Nedumbassery panchayat where only Beena, the maternal grandmother of the child, was present at that time. Her efforts to close the doors on the intruder proved in vain as Naik forced his way in, assaulted her and tried to snatch away the child.
Beena, however, managed to run towards the house of her brother Paulose and create an uproar, bringing Paulose and others on to the scene. The police said that they had recovered a PAN card, election identity card and a police certificate from Assam from the purse of the accused.
