Missing girl rescued from auto-rickshaw driver's house

Bhubaneswar, Oct 29: A 6-year-old girl, who went missing from Nandankanan zoo on October 4, has been rescued, police said today.

The missing child Payal, was rescued last night from an auto-rickshaw driver's house at Lingipur village in Lingaraj police limits, Commissioner of Police R P Sharma said. The police have detained the auto-rickshaw driver for interrogation.

The girl said she was picked up by an auto-rickshaw driver from outside the zoo and he took her with him. After a few days, he had handed over Payal to another auto-rickshaw driver. She was allegedly beaten at the latter's house and forced to do household chores, he said.

Payal who hails from Berhampur, had gone missing while visiting Nandankanan Zoological Park here with her families on October 4. The girl's families had lodged a complaint with the Nandankanan police station.

PTI