ADILABAD: Unidentified persons reportedly attempted to kidnap three children in two separate incidents in Nirmal on Monday night.
Panic prevailed following news that gangs, apparently hunting hidden treasure, had arrived from other states and were kidnapping children to sacrifice them to appease evil forces and retrieve treasure in the hills and forts in Nirmal on amavasya (new moon night).
Locals caught two unidentified persons on suspicion of kidnapping two children who were missing. The two men were beaten up and handed over to the local police in Chityal village in Nirmal mandal. The two missing children were identified as Prashanthi, 5, and Nagaraj, 7, of Chityal village.
Prashanti, of Jafarnagar village, reportedly went missing on Monday night and was suspected to have been kidnapped. Her parents lodged a complaint with the local police. However, she was found in Madapur village on Tuesday morning.
Nirmal DSP Madhava Reddy said they were investigating into the incidents of kidnap. Meanwhile, the State Child Rights Commission took suo motu notice of media reports on the kidnapping and ordered district collector Jagan Mohan to submit a report before June 5 on the incidents and the suspected involvement of the treasure hunters.
