Sahasra was kidnapped by her own uncle

Ongole: Police have revealed that the person responsible for the kidnap of Sahasra, a 7-year-old girl from Kanigiri of Prakasham district on Thursday, was her own uncle, Rajesh Reddy. Rajesh was aided by his friend Salman and Salman's girlfriend, Sheikh Basheera. All three of them were apprehended within 12 hours of the abduction.

Rajesh was reportedly upset with his brother Devireddy Srinivasulu Reddy for not helping him financially. The police said that Rajesh not only kidnapped niece but also turned a deaf ear to the little girls pleas and behaved inhumanely towards her. He bound her arms tightly, blindfolded her eyes and taped her mouth shut.

Speaking to the press about the incident on Thursday, the additional SP B. Ramanaik revealed that Rajesh Reddy along with his accomplice approached his brother Srinivasulu Reddy's daughter Sahasra, wearing masks and helmets to conceal their identities, and kidnapped her on a two wheeler before moving her to an apartment in Vijayawada.

He revealed that the police began to monitor his movements from the time they received information about the kidnapping. His actions of leaving his mobile phone at his house and making his colleagues tell enquirers that he was at work, when he wasn't, led the police to doubt him. The police also noted that his movements coincided with the ransom call location. This strengthened their doubts about Rajesh's involvement.

The police also noted that Rajesh, while pretending not to be involved in any of this and being around his brother's family, would also be in contact with the alleged kidnappers. The kidnappers had made a demand for Rs. 50 lakh and threatened to kill the girl if the parents involved the police.

The police waylaid him at the Gollapalli toll gate near Kanigiri and took him into custody. Their interrogations led him to confess about the entire plan, after which he took the police to the apartment where he had taken his niece. The police found Sahasra bound and gagged; they freed her and brought her back to her parents.

The police arrested Rajesh Reddy, his friend Salman and Salman's girlfriend Sheikh Basheera and confiscated their motorbike, knives, masks and gloves. The district SP has announced rewards to the police involved, for resolving the kidnap case in under 12 hours.