The investigation team probing the Oyoor child abduction case recorded the arrest of three suspects on December 2 (Saturday), nearly 24 hours after they were taken into custody from Puliyara on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.
The accused were produced before court and remanded in judicial custody. At present, Chathannur resident Padmakumar, his wife Anitha Kumari and daughter Anupama are the only accused in the case, while the police are also probing the possible involvement of others.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar said the motive behind the crime was financial gain as the family had fallen on hard times during the pandemic. “Inspired by similar incidents, they have been planning the crime for the last one year. The first fake [vehicle] number plate was made one year ago, while the second one was obtained only recently. The family has been monitoring remote and isolated areas for identifying victims,” he said.
A special investigation team was formed under DIG R. Nishanthini to probe the case. Digital evidence, inputs from the public and the sketches prepared by two artists immensely helped the investigation.
“The first and foremost focus of the police was to ensure the safe return of the child. We could successfully pressure the accused to abandon the child without any harm and during interrogation, they too admitted to this. From the first day, we were aware that the abductors were from Kollam district and were familiar with the area,” said the ADGP.
A well-planned crime
He added that it was a well-planned crime that had left no clue for the police. The accused had anticipated all possible routes of investigation and taken necessary precautions to neutralise any move from the part of the police.
Padmakumar and his family had made earlier attempts to abduct the child and, according to officials, all the three were actively involved in the crime. The six-year-old was taken to Padmakumar’s house at Chathannur after the abduction.
The couple had gone to a store at Parippally to make the ransom call which turned out to be a vital clue for the police. When they realised that the abduction had garnered much media attention, they decided to abandon the child and flee to Thenkasi.
“The family has no criminal background and we suspect that the wife, Anitha Kumari, is the mastermind behind the crime. Anupama, their daughter, is a social media influencer who used to earn from ₹3.8 lakh to ₹5 lakh a month till her channel was demonetised in July. They were facing severe financial crisis and their only motive was money,” said the ADGP.
Contrary to prior reports, police officials also clarified that the child’s father had no involvement in the case.
