Chennai Auto Driver's Alertness Foils Kidnapping Bid, Wins Police Praise

An alert auto rickshaw driver and the prompt response of a police patrol helped rescue a minor girl who was allegedly kidnapped from outside Chennai Central railway station, police said. The accused, identified as 45-year-old Sasikumar, has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

According to police, the girl’s family, migrant agricultural labourers from another state, had arrived at Chennai Central on July 1 after completing work in Trichy district. They were waiting to board a train scheduled for the following morning and had spent the night sleeping outside the railway station. Around 3 am on July 2, the family discovered that the girl had gone missing.

The breakthrough came when Murugan, an auto-rickshaw driver near the station, noticed

Sasikumar leading the child away. Police said Murugan became suspicious because the man and the girl appeared to be speaking different languages and the child’s behaviour raised concerns.

Murugan intercepted the accused and questioned him about the child. Unsatisfied with his explanations, he prevented the man from leaving, ensured the girl’s safety and immediately alerted a nearby police patrol. Officers quickly reached the spot, rescued the child and took the accused into custody.

The girl was safely reunited with her parents, and a case was registered against Sasikumar under Section 137(2) at the G2 Periamet Police Station, according to an official release issued by the Tamil Nadu Police headquarters.

Commending Murugan’s presence of mind and sense of civic responsibility, the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, felicitated and rewarded the auto-rickshaw driver. Police described his timely intervention as an outstanding example of public vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement, noting that his actions played a crucial role in ensuring the child’s safe rescue and the accused’s arrest.