A five-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a former security guard at a gated community in Kowkoor, Bollarum, sparking panic in the neighbourhood.
A five-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a former security guard at a gated community in Kowkoor, Bollarum, sparking panic in the neighbourhood. The accused, identified as Vikram, allegedly targeted the child just a day after being dismissed from his job over alleged misconduct and later demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from her family.
According to police, the accused allegedly tied the girl’s hands and legs, weighed her down with bricks and drowned her in a water sump in the housing society’s cellar. He then allegedly contacted her family and demanded money in exchange for her release.
The incident took place on Saturday evening when the girl went to watch Bathukamma celebrations at the community clubhouse. Her body was subsequently recovered from a water sump, prompting police to add murder charges to the case.
Police initially registered a case under Section 140 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers kidnapping or abduction in connection with murder, ransom and other specified offences. All seven security guards employed at the society have been taken into custody for questioning, while a manhunt has been launched for Vikram, who remains absconding.
CCTV Footage Reveals Suspected Kidnapping
CCTV footage reportedly showed the child leaving the clubhouse, with a man following her at some distance. Around 7.45 pm, the girl’s grandfather received a call from an unknown number. The caller allegedly claimed to have his grandson in custody and demanded Rs 20 lakh, asking him to travel to Secunderabad with the money.
“Aapka pota mere paas hai, mujhe 20 lakh chahiye, main Secunderabad mein hoon, aake le lo),” a police official said, referring to the complaint filed by the girl’s father.
The grandfather soon realised that his grandson was safe and cycling around the house. When he confronted the caller, the person disconnected the call.
The accused allegedly contacted the girl’s father, a research scientist at an agriculture-based company, and made a similar ransom demand, this time claiming that his daughter was in his custody.
Meanwhile, the family had begun searching frantically for the child after she failed to return home from the clubhouse.
“Her mother had apparently asked her son to call his sister home around 7.30 pm. He returned saying she would be back in five minutes,” the police official said.
When the family could not locate the girl at the clubhouse, their concern quickly turned to panic.
Ransom Calls Lead Police To Security Guard
The accused allegedly called the family again and asked them to transfer the ransom to a bank account. Although the family agreed to pay, they insisted that he show the girl on a video call to confirm that she was safe. He allegedly refused.
The family subsequently alerted the police, who rushed to the housing society. By then, the accused had switched off his phone.
Residents also examined the CCTV footage and noticed the girl leaving the clubhouse, apparently followed by a man.
When police traced the phone number used for the ransom calls, they discovered that it belonged to a security guard employed at the society.
“During questioning, the guard confessed that Vikram had entered the premises and used his phone to make a call,” said G Ramesh, assistant commissioner of police (Trimulgherry division).
Another CCTV clip purportedly showed Vikram signalling to the guard before hurriedly leaving the premises.
Acting on the guard’s statement, police and residents searched the clubhouse cellar, where they discovered the girl’s body inside a water sump. Her hands and legs were tied, and two bricks had allegedly been tied around her waist, police said.
Drones Deployed To Track Absconding Accused
Police have launched an extensive manhunt for Vikram, deploying drones across Secunderabad and other parts of the city to track him down. Special teams have also been sent to several suburbs, including Patancheru, to pursue leads and locate the accused.
Vikram had reportedly been employed by the housing society for four months before being dismissed on October 9 over alleged poor conduct. The alleged crime has raised serious concerns among residents about security arrangements within gated communities.
The girl’s family has demanded stringent action against the accused as they struggle to cope with the devastating loss.
“I want the accused to die,” the distraught mother of the child told the media, expressing her anguish over the death of her daughter.