Kochi, 21 August (H.S.):

A13-year-old girl reported missing from Kerala was rescued by the Kuruppampady police from a remote village in a Naxal-affected forest region of Odisha following a challenging interstate operation.

The special investigation team travelled more than 4,000 kilometres by road before tracing the girl to Nabagochha village in Odisha's Ganjam district. The daughter of migrant workers from Odisha, she had disappeared from Methala in Ernakulam district.

Her parents approached the Kuruppampady police on August 13 after she failed to return home. Officers initially searched Methala and surrounding areas but found no trace of her. The investigation later led them to a man named Keshav, who was working in Salem, Tamil Nadu.

Police subsequently learnt that the girl had befriended another Odisha native employed at a company in Salem. A team travelled to Salem, but she could not be located there. The investigation became more difficult after the mobile phone of the young man linked to her was switched off.

Acting on the directions of Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief K.S. Sudarshan, a special team began travelling to Odisha. Further investigation revealed that the girl was staying with a young man identified as Alok.

The Kerala police team reached Odisha on August 18 and discovered that the village was situated in a Naxal-affected area where daytime vehicular movement was considered dangerous. With assistance from Bhanjanagar police, the team planned a late-night rescue operation under heavy security.

Eight armed police personnel, led by a station house officer, accompanied the Kerala team. After travelling about 40 kilometres through the forest, the vehicles were stopped one kilometre from the village around midnight.

The officers then proceeded in a single file through the forest, located Alok's house and surrounded it. The girl was safely rescued and taken into police protection. Further legal procedures are under way.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman