3-member gang involved in kidnapping minor boys arrested

Nellore: Gudur rural cops nabbed a 3-member gang that kidnaps children and force them to work as labourers. The accused were identified as Devarakonda Sankaraiah, Palakeerthi Suresh, and Palakeerthi Venkaiah of Gudlur in Prakasam district. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Aishwarya Rastogi said during a press conference here on Wednesday that the accused livelihood is duck rearing.

The SP stated the accused usually kidnap children below 10 years and shift them to their native village and engage them in duck rearing. Sankaraiah had visited Gudur railway station two months ago and had kidnapped a minor boy Y Karunakar and forced him to rear ducks.

P Suresh had bought an orphan boy, Magadhera (8), for Rs 10,000 from Thottembedu in Chittoor district. Rastogi mentioned Sankariah also kidnapped a 4-year-old boy Siva Sai from Kamakshamma Temple located in Jonnawada of Buchireddypalem.

Karunakar and Magadheera had escaped from Gudlur ten days ago and reached Pagadalaplli of Gudur rural mandal and informed others how they were exploited by these two people, he added. Gudur rural police registered a case under sections 366, 367, 374 of IPC. The cops nabbed the accused at Buchireddypalem bus stand centre on Wednesday, said the SP.

Children Y Karunakar and Potluru Ramaiah were handed over to their parents while Siva Sai and Magadheera were handed over to Chairman of the Child Welfare Committee Chillakuru Surekha for further care, informed the SP. Gudur DSP B Harsha, Rural Circle Inspector K Ramakrishna Reddy, Sub-Inspector G Pulla Rao and others were present.