Guntur Girl Kidnapping Case Poses Challenge to Police as Search Continues

A 15-year-old girl from Guntur has remained untraced for nearly three months after allegedly being taken away by a 28-year-old man she met through Instagram. The incident has become a major challenge for the police, with the duo reportedly changing locations across several states to evade detection. Following strong observations from the High Court over the delay in tracing the girl, Guntur District SP Vakul Jindal constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The missing-person case was also converted into a kidnapping case on Thursday night. According to the police, the girl, a Class 10 student, had left home on June 9 after telling her grandmother that she was going to her parents’ shop. She allegedly took cash and gold from home and did not return. A complaint was lodged with Pattabhipuram police the following day. CCTV footage reportedly showed the accused, identified as Sheikh Jan Saida of Parchur, taking the girl away on a motorcycle.

Police teams, along with the girl’s parents, searched several locations including Parchur, Nellore, Coimbatore and Palakkad. CCTV footage and information gathered from lodges reportedly indicated that the duo later travelled to Secunderabad. Investigators also traced their movements from a railway station in Palakkad to Secunderabad and subsequently to Begumpet railway station. Police suspect that the accused has been frequently changing mobile phones and SIM cards and using different social media accounts to communicate. Investigators are also examining technical data and CCTV footage to track their movements. The accused allegedly contacted the girl’s parents through Instagram and challenged them to find him. SP Vakul Jindal said technical experts were assisting the investigation and that efforts were underway to trace and apprehend the accused at the earliest. He also appealed to people not to spread rumours or give the incident a communal angle.