Just over two hours after a terrifying abduction from his home in Gudiyatham town, Vellore, a four-year-old boy was safely rescued by police. The dramatic recovery took place at Devikapuram village near Ambur in Tirupattur district on Wednesday, and authorities quickly apprehended one suspect involved in the kidnapping.
Authorities identified the arrested individual as S. Balaji. His alleged accomplice, Vicky, managed to escape when a police team surrounded them in Krishnagiri. The young victim, V. Yogesh, is the son of K. Venu, a software professional, and V. Janani, who reside in the Santhapettai area of Gudiyatham. Yogesh attends pre-LKG classes at a local private school.
The abduction occurred on Wednesday as Venu, who works remotely, followed his usual routine of picking up his son from school. As Venu parked his two-wheeler outside their home to open the main gate, a helmet-clad man approached, sprayed chilli powder at him, and snatched the child before fleeing in a car.
CCTV footage captured the alarming sequence of events. It showed a masked individual exiting a white car, later confirmed to have a fake Karnataka registration, and moving directly towards Venu’s bike. The man forcibly took the child, and the desperate father was seen chasing the car, even clinging to its door momentarily before falling. The incident unfolded swiftly at approximately 12:20 p.m.
Neighbours and relatives quickly arrived at the scene, and the Gudiyatham Town police were immediately alerted. Upon inspection, officers discovered a packet of chilli powder at the location, with visible traces on the father’s clothing, confirming his account of the attack.
Police meticulously reviewed CCTV footage from along the potential escape routes. Superintendent of Police A. Myilvagaran swiftly mobilized six specialized teams dedicated to the rescue operation. Alerts were broadcast to all border check-posts, and teams were strategically deployed to monitor and intercept vehicles.
The intensive search paid off. Around 2:45 p.m., one of the police rescue teams located the kidnapped boy near a marriage hall in Devikapuram village, within the Madhanur panchayat union, close to Ambur. Their discovery followed crucial tips from pedestrians who had informed Pallikonda Town police about a suspicious boy in the area.