It has been a week since an 8-year-old child, daughter of tea estate workers in Thuthurmattam near Coonoor went missing. With an intense search operation under way, and still no sign of the missing child, police officials are scrambling to find some clues that will lead them to the girl’s whereabouts.
The girl and son of two tea estate workers were reported to have been playing in the area when she suddenly went missing. Following a search of the local area, the girl’s parents registered a missing persons complaint with the Kolacombai police on Tuesday, crucially an entire day after the girl went missing.
Five special teams comprising ADSPs and DSPs have since been formed to trace the missing girl. With the assistance of the Forest Department, the police combed the entire surrounding area where the girl was last seen, initially suspecting that she could have been the victim of an animal attack. However, as they have not yet noticed any signs indicating an animal attack, the police have also begun to investigate other leads in the case.
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When contacted, Nilgiris District Superintendent of Police V. Sasi Mohan said that the police had identified one suspect in the case and had taken him in for questioning. “However, we are still actively looking for clues in the case, and investigations are ongoing,” said Mr. Sasi Mohan.
The children who had last seen the girl have also been questioned by police looking for clues into the disappearance. Based on their testimonies, a few cars which resembled the ones that were spotted near the area were also tracked by the police and searched. However, these efforts too have so far proved futile.