Indore Police Rescue Two Abducted Children Within Seven Hours; Four Arrested

Couple and Two Accomplices Held for Demanding ₹15 Lakh Ransom via Video Call

Indore police successfully traced and rescued two minor children from an apartment in Datt Nagar within seven hours of their abduction on Thursday night. The swift operation led to the arrest of four accused, including a married couple and two siblings who orchestrated the kidnapping plot with ransom demands.

Children Found Safe in Datt Nagar Building

Nine-year-old Naitik Sonkar and his 11-year-old brother Samrat went missing from Tirupati Garden around 7 p.m. on Thursday evening. The police recovered both children in good health from a residential building in Datt Nagar at approximately 2 a.m. on Friday, just hours after an unknown caller demanded ₹15 lakh ransom through a video call to the children's grandfather, Poonam Chand Jaidev.

According to officials, the elderly grandfather received a video call from a woman threatening to harm the children unless the ransom was paid immediately. The caller ended communication abruptly after making the demand, triggering immediate police action.

Rapid Response and Technical Surveillance

TI Surendra Raghuvanshi led the investigation with coordinated teams from Sanyogitanagar, Badi Gwaltoli, Rajendra Nagar, Dwarkapur, Tukoganj, and Palasia police stations. Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from the locality and identified a young woman accompanying the children away from the garden area.

Police traced the phone number used to make the ransom call through surveillance systems and located its signal in the Datt Nagar area. According to ACP Tushar Singh, "We carefully tracked the phone location and conducted surveillance at the suspected building. When the accused spotted our team, they attempted to flee, but we apprehended them immediately without any untoward incident."

The Accused Quartet

Four individuals were arrested in connection with the case:

1. Vineet Singh (22), son of Rajesh, resident of Tilak Nagar

2. Radhika Singh (18), daughter of Rajesh, resident of Sahakar Nagar

3. Lalit Dashrath (21), resident of Datt Nagar

4. Tanisha (21), wife of Lalit, resident of Sadar

Radhika and Vineet are siblings. Lalit and Tanisha are married partners. According to police statements, Tanisha actively participated in the abduction, luring the children away from the garden by promising to show them birds and animals.

Investigation Reveals WhatsApp Coordination

Police investigations revealed that all four accused were in constant communication through WhatsApp messaging and calls. The ransom demand was made through a WhatsApp video call from one of the group's registered numbers. ACP Singh stated, "The accused coordinated their entire operation through digital platforms. Our surveillance team monitored the phone activity and successfully intercepted the location before any harm could come to the children."

The quick identification and tracing of digital footprints proved crucial in locating the victims before the situation escalated. Police acted with utmost caution given the volatile nature of abduction cases.

Medical Examination and Safety Confirmation

Both children underwent immediate medical examination following their recovery. As per official reports, the accused did not inflict any physical injury or harm upon the minors. The children were reunited with their family members within hours of rescue, bringing immense relief to their relatives.

The grandfather of the children told reporters that the family is deeply grateful to the police for their swift action. He urged stringent punishment for all accused involved in the crime.

Lured Under False Pretence

According to family members, the children were playing cricket at Tirupati Garden around 6 p.m. when an adolescent girl approached them. Naitik's uncle, Rahul Sonkar, revealed that the accused girl convinced both boys to accompany her by claiming she would show them interesting birds and animals in the vicinity. The children followed her unsuspectingly, leading to their abduction.

Naitik's father works as a juice vendor, while Samrat's father is a traditional musical instrument player. The family belongs to the economically modest section of society in the Tirupati Garden locality.

What Lies Ahead

The arrested individuals face serious charges including kidnapping, extortion, and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code. Police have initiated a detailed interrogation to determine whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger criminal network. Further investigation is underway to establish how the accused identified and targeted these specific children.

The Indore Police commissionerate has been praised for the rapid and coordinated response that prevented what could have been a more serious outcome. The case highlights the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance, digital tracking, and inter-police station coordination in modern crime investigation.