Malda child kidnapping case: 2nd accused held

Malda: Police have arrested the second accused in the shocking child abduction case that took place on October 8 in Kotol village under Rashidabad Gram Panchayat, Harishchandrapur. The accused, identified as Siten Das, a resident of Bengal village in the Phalana area, was nabbed late Sunday night after several days on the run.

According to police sources, two men had abducted a three-year-old girl from the roadside. Thanks to the quick response of civic volunteers and the Harishchandrapur Police, one accused—Choton Nag of Harishchandrapur Sadar—was caught within 25 minutes of the incident and the child was safely rescued.

Both men were addicted to drugs and had planned to kidnap the girl for ransom to pay off their debts. During interrogation, they admitted that drug addiction drove them to commit the crime, revealed sources.

After multiple failed attempts, police successfully tracked down and arrested Siten Das on Sunday night. He was produced before the court on Monday and remanded to five days of police custody for further interrogation.

Police are investigating whether any others were involved in the kidnapping plot.