Kollam: A statewide search has been launched after a six-year-old girl was kidnapped from Kollam by a gang, comprising a woman, that arrived in a white car.

The child, Abigel Sara Reji, was dragged into a white sedan on Maruthanampally Road near Oyoor around 4.45 pm. Those with any leads are advised to contact the dedicated police helpline at 112.

Three hours after the child went missing, the mother of the child received a call from an unknown number demanding a ransom of Rs 5 lakh. About five hours after the abduction, the kidnappers raised the ransom to Rs 10 lakh. The phone calls were made by a woman.

Transcript of alleged kidnapper's message:
"Hello, the kid is safe. The kid is safe. We will call again tomorrow at 10.
"You have to arrange Rs 10 lakh... you arrange, we will bring the kid tomorrow at 10."
".. we will bring the kid home."
"Don't inform the police, things will get out of our hands.
Tomorrow we will bring the child to your house."
"...do not call back to this phone, this is not our phone."
"..if you do not want anything to happen to the child, you must not inform the police."
"..our boss has said the child will be released tomorrow at 10"

First phone call tracked to Parippally
Police had tracked the first phone call to a shop at Parippally in Kollam. According to reports, the abductors did not use their phone numbers. Unconfirmed reports indicate the abductors ditched the car and left in an auto. It appears the kidnappers used a fake registration number on the car.

Parippally native on abductors
Meanwhile, a man who claims to have seen at least two of the suspects has given information about their attire.

According to the Parippally native, the woman was in a green churidhar with white dots and had a black shawl worn overhead. She was in her mid-thirties, said the eyewitness. He has claimed that a man who was with the woman wore brown shirt and khaki pants.

"The woman walked till there (points to a direction) and was talking over a phone. The auto was not from here and the driver had placed his head over the steering. He was a big man," said the eyewitness.

He had seen them near the shop at Parippally from where the woman made the call demanding the ransom. That mobile belongs to the shop owner.

Elder brother of child escaped
The child's eight-year-old brother, Jonathan, told their relatives that the group also tried to abduct him, but he managed to escape from their clutches.

The two children were walking toward a tuition centre near their house. The children's parents were not home when the incident occurred.

According to the child's brother, there were three men and a woman inside the car. The car's registration number was not clear from CCTV footage.

Jonathan told media persons that he had noticed the car near the house a week ago.