The police rescued a young girl who was kidnapped by a thief and habitual offender in Manjariwadi village near Chikkodi on Monday.
The kidnapper, Anil Lambugol, who has 35 cases pending against him for burglary and other offences, was arrested. He ran away from the Hukkeri Jail recently, the police said.
Lambugol entered the house of a farmer in Manjariwadi on Sunday night, planning to steal mobile phones. He abducted the minor girl from the family who was sleeping beside her aunt in the house.
The girl’s mother woke to a minor sound and saw the thief trying to steal phones. When she went out to seek help from her neighbours, he abducted the girl. The accused snatched the girl and ran away holding her in his hands. Though the girl’s father and uncle tried to give him a chase, he outran them.
The mother started cursing him loudly and awakened her neighbours. Villagers who came to know about this raised an alarm.
Meanwhile, agitated villagers stopped the vehicle of the Assistant Commissioner and demanded that the accused be brought to justice.
The girl’s mother then filed a complaint with the Ankali Police Station. The accused was arrested within hours and the girl was rescued. She was sent to hospital for a check-up and treatment. The case will be revised to include penal provisions of PoCSO Act, if there are signs of sexual assault, a police officer said.
