Kollam: Revealing more details which proved decisive in nabbing the culprits in the abduction of a six-year-old in Kollam, police said some persons residing in the area recognised the voice of Anitha Kumari, one of the accused, in the phone recording demanding a ransom. One of them who recognised Anitha's voice was Abdul Samad, who resides in the area.

A friend of Abdul Samad had sent him a phone recording of Anitha asking another individual to loan her Rs 20,000. Abdul Samad, who found a similarity between the voices in that clip and that of the woman in the recording demanding a ransom, sent the recordings to CI Vipin for verification.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the voice in the clip was indeed that of Anitha Kumari, who owned a bakery in Chathannoor and a farm in the Paravoor area. It also became clear that she has a 20-year-old daughter.

A crime that was a year in the making
The accused -- Padmakumar, his wife Anitha Kumari and their daugter Anupama -- had been planning the abduction for a year. According to police, Padmakumar was in a financial crisis and needed Rs 10 lakh to settle a debt immediately.

As per reports, Anitha Kumari was the mastermind behind the crime. It was Anitha who left the child at the Ashramam Ground. Police clarified the accused left the ground only after confirming the girl was safe. They also said neither Padmakumar nor his wife and daughter have any criminal background.