The frantic search to trace the whereabouts of a six-year-old girl in Kollam extended to Thiruvananthapuram during the early hours of Tuesday (November 28) with the investigation team receiving leads regarding the car used for the crime. Three persons have been detained from various locations in the State capital.
The probe hinged on grainy CCTV footage recovered from near the locality where the child had been kidnapped by the gang. While the police firmly believe they travelled in a Swift Dzire car, they are yet to confirm the registration number with its number plate being only partially visible.
Nevertheless, the investigation team shortlisted a number of registration numbers that have been allotted for the particular car model. This led them to a resident of Powdikonam near Sreekaryam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city during the wee hours of the day.
With the car owner claiming to have handed the car over to another person, the Thiruvananthapuram police shifted their focus to a car wash centre at Sreekanteswaram. The workers at the facility informed the sleuths that the car had been parked at a workshop in Thiruvallam, nearly seven kilometres away.
The car, which was subsequently located in the workshop, is believed to have been there for several days. While the police appear to have reached a dead-end, the presence of a bag containing several bundles of ₹500 notes, amounting to nearly ₹9 lakh, at the car washing centre has piqued suspicion. An inquiry is under way to ascertain the source of the cash.
The police are currently questioning the car owner, the owner and an employee of the car wash facility.
