A special investigation team (SIT) of the Ernakulam Rural police in Keralam covered nearly 4,000 kilometres in hot pursuit of a 13‑year‑old migrant girl who went missing from her home earlier this month, eventually rescuing her from Ganjam district in Odisha.

The daughter of an Odisha couple was reported missing from the Kuruppampady police station limits on August 13. Her parents lodged a petition with the police around 6 p.m. A missing case was registered immediately, and a search was launched to trace the girl.

Searches in the neighbourhood and adjoining areas where the family resided proved futile. Technology was brought into the investigation, helping the police identify a man named Kesav, who was found to be working in Salem, Tamil Nadu. The police reached Salem and interrogated him, which led to information about the girl’s reported friendship with a youngster from Odisha. However, the trail went cold as the mobile phone of the person in question was switched off.

The investigation was intensified after District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) K.S. Sudarshan formed the SIT. The girl was eventually traced to Ganjam district along with a man identified as Alok. Following this, the SIT left for Odisha and reached there on August 18. “The area was Naxal‑infested, and the local Bhanjanagar police warned us against entering the village in police vehicles during the day. It was, therefore, decided to time the operation at midnight with eight armed men from the local police. Our team was also given weapons for safety,” a member of the SIT said.

The combined police team waded through the forest terrain for 40 kilometres before reaching the target. Vehicles were parked a kilometre away to avoid attention, and the team walked in single file through the forested region to reach the residential area.

The next challenge was identifying Alok’s house. “Eventually, the house was located and encircled. By then, the neighbourhood had woken up, leading to arguments with our team. However, we managed to rescue the girl amid the melee. She was taken to the Bhanjanagar police station along with the man. Later, we returned to Keralam with the girl,” a police statement said.

The SIT comprised sub‑inspector K.M. Aby and civil police officers N.P. Bindu, Arun K. Karun, and Rajith Ram.

Published - August 22, 2026 08:00 pm IST