Ranchi — Ranchi witnessed scenes of relief and celebration on Wednesday after two minor siblings—a five-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister—were safely rescued 12 days after being kidnapped from the city.
The children were recovered from the Ahmednagar locality under the Rajrappa police station area in Ramgarh district. A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the abduction and are currently being questioned.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren lauded the Jharkhand Police for the successful operation and said the state government would intensify its crackdown on human trafficking networks.
In a social media post, the Chief Minister said that freeing the two children was a deeply emotional moment and praised the police for linking the case with a similar incident outside the state, tracking the accused, and rescuing the victims. He asserted that the investigation would be expanded to identify and dismantle the entire trafficking gang operating within and beyond Jharkhand.
Sharing a photograph of the rescued children, Soren said only a family can truly understand the happiness of such a moment and directed officials to ensure that the family is connected with all relevant government welfare schemes.
Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters, Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra said the rescue was the result of sustained investigation and coordinated efforts by multiple police teams. She announced rewards for all personnel involved in the operation.
The DGP said officers from all levels, including IPS, DSP, Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, and Constables, contributed to the success, while the technical cell led by SSP Rakesh Ranjan and the Quick Response Team played a decisive role.
Preliminary findings suggest the kidnapping is part of a larger interstate human trafficking racket, and further arrests are likely.
The breakthrough came after two local youths in Ahmednagar identified the children from missing posters circulating on social media and immediately alerted the police, who rescued the siblings within minutes.
The children had gone missing on January 2 while going to a grocery store near their home in the Mausibari area under Dhurwa police station, sparking widespread protests and shutdowns in the locality.
With inputs from IANS