Kidnappers of 10-year-old girl held

HYDERABAD: A mason, who abducted a ten-year-old girl allegedly to sell her to a brothel in Mumbai, was arrested and the girl rescued on Saturday.Jyothi went missing from her house at Prakash Nagar in Begumpet on June 6. It was later found that she was kidnapped by her neighbour Sitaram Naik. Police questioned Naik's family members and came to know about the plan to sell her with help of his sister Laxmi, brotherin- law Shekar Naik and Ratlala Naramma, with whom he had a live-in-relationship."The prime accused Sitaram Naik abducted the girl in an auto with the help of the other three accused on June 6. The victim was taken to Secunderabad railway station and then to Mumbai," deputy commissioner of police (North Zone) Ch Srikanth said at a press conference.Naik came to know through Naramma that police were on the lookout for him in Hyderabad. He then shifted Jyothi to the residence of another sister Sheela who lives in Chunabhatti in Mumbai."Police traced the call that Naik made to Naramma to a locality near Chunabatti.They immediately alerted the Mumbai police who conducted a raid on Sheela's house and rescued the girl," Srikanth added.On questioning Naik regarding his intentions, he gave contradictory answers but police suspect he intended to sell her.Police added that Sheela was kept in the dark about the conspiracy and was initially averse to giving shelter to Jyothi.Naik has several contacts in Mumbai since he resided in the city for 25 years. Police nabbed the accused before they struck a deal to sell the girl. They also caught the other three who helped Naik kidnap the girl.Naik, during the press conference said he committed the offence in an inebriated condition with the motivation of other family members. But Laxmi maintained she is innocent.