Coconut vendor held for kidnapping girl child

Erode, Feb 25 (PTI) A 42-year-old man has been arrestedfor allegedly kidnapping a two and a half-year-old girl childfrom nearby Namakkal district, police said today.

Saranyadevi, daughter of a powerloom worker, waskidnapped from Pallipalayam on Wednesday when she was playingnear her house, police said. The accused, a coconut vendor,had handed her over to a group of nomads in Chitode area inErode yesterday, saying he was too drunk to take her home,police said.

Following a complaint by the father of the missing child,police arranged for the publication of the victim''s picture innewspapers.

Yesterday afternoon, some persons noticed the childplaying near the tents of the nomads at Lakshminagar areanear Chitode and informed the police, who recovered the child.

When the accused returned yesterday evening to take backthe child from the nomads, police arrested him. He has beenbooked under section 363 of IPC (Kidnapping), police said.

Saranyadevi has been handed over to her parents, theyadded.