Where is Gnaneswari? AP Toddler Missing for 9 Days
The missing of two-year-old Sunkara Gnaneswari from Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district has turned into a heart-wrenching mystery, with authorities and villagers continuing an extensive search operation even after nine days without a breakthrough.
Fondly known as "Jaanu," the toddler went missing on June 6 from a palm oil plantation near Tuni, where her parents work as caretakers. Despite large-scale efforts involving police personnel, disaster response teams, drones, sniffer dogs, and local volunteers, there has been no trace of the child so far.
Tragic Misunderstanding Before Disappearance
According to family members, Jaanu accompanied her parents, Ganesh and Bhavani, to the plantation along with the family's pet dog on the day she vanished. In a tragic turn of events, each parent believed the other had taken the child back home after work.
It was only after they returned that they realised the toddler was missing, triggering panic and a frantic search across the plantation and surrounding areas.
Family Dog Became Key to Investigation
Investigators pinned significant hopes on the family's pet dog, which was reportedly the only companion with the child around the time she disappeared. Authorities fitted the animal with a GPS tracking device and released it in an attempt to retrace the toddler's possible route.
The dog reportedly covered nearly 80 kilometres through plantations, orchards and nearby terrain over several days. However, despite raising hopes among the search teams, the effort failed to produce any concrete clues regarding the child's whereabouts.
In a heartbreaking development, the dog died on Saturday, reportedly due to exhaustion after days of continuous movement and inadequate food. Its death has added to the grief surrounding a case that remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Massive Search Operation Continues
More than 250 personnel from the Police Department and the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed for the operation. Search teams are combing hundreds of acres of plantations, forest patches and hilly terrain around Tuni.
Authorities have also installed CCTV cameras in areas where the child and the dog were believed to have travelled, while drones continue aerial surveillance to identify any possible leads.
Despite the extensive efforts, investigators have not been able to establish what exactly happened to the toddler. Officials have not ruled out any angle, including the possibility of abduction, though no evidence has surfaced so far.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan Responds Late
Amid growing public concern and criticism over the pace of the response, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has responded finally on Saturday and directed police officials to intensify the search operation and explore all possible leads in the case.
Family Clings to Hope
As the mystery deepens, anxiety continues to grow among residents of the region, many of whom have joined the search efforts. For Jaanu's parents, however, the ordeal remains deeply personal and painfully unresolved.
With every passing day, they continue to wait for answers, holding on to the hope that their daughter will be found safe and reunited with her family.
