The Madurai City Police have claimed to have zeroed in on the key suspect who figured in the kidnap of two girls two days ago.
While the children, who were kidnapped on Thursday morning, were set free without any harm the same night, the police have been interrogating a dozen suspects, including two women.
The two girls, aged nine and six, daughters of grocery merchant Kartigaiselvan, travelled in a car to school every day. On Thursday, when they were going to school, men in police attire, intercepted the vehicle near Teppakulam junction.
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According to driver Pandian, the children were whisked away in another car while he fell unconscious after he was administered chloroform by the abductors.
He regained consciousness after an hour and a half and informed Kartigaiselvan who lodged a complaint with the Teppakulam police.
The abduction is suspected to be the handiwork of the son of a former employee, who was an accountant with Kartigaiselvan’s firm.
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Since he was not given any monetary benefit while exiting the firm, the kidnap was plotted, the police said.
Commissioner of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal had formed special teams to nab the suspects. So far, the police have detained five persons and quizzed 10 others.
A senior police officer said that the children were set free after the kidnappers received ₹ 50 lakh. An autorickshaw driver, who dropped the two children near their house in New Pankajam Colony on Thursday night, and a woman who kept the children under her custody during the abduction were being interrogated.
The police had recovered a major portion of the ransom from the kidnappers and the key suspect would be secured soon, he said.