GRP rescues abducted 5-year-old; woman held in UP after week-long search

Raipur: A five-year-old girl abducted from Raipur railway station last week was traced to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh and safely rescued by the Government Railway Police (GRP) Raipur on Thursday, bringing an emotional end to a desperate search. The accused—a 40-year-old woman who longed for a child of her own—was arrested, and the girl was reunited with her family.For the child's parents, who survive by begging near the railway station, the week-long separation was a nightmare. The little girl, Khanak, was left near the foot overbridge in the care of a family acquaintance while her mother briefly stepped away. By the time she returned, Khanak had vanished.Investigators later learned that the abductor lured the girl away by offering biscuits—an act captured in CCTV footage from multiple stations. The woman, identified as Jyoti Devi, reportedly struggled with the emotional void of not having children and, according to investigators, took the girl because she wanted someone to care for.What surprised officers was the child's spirit. GRP officer B. Mishra said Khanak was so "lively and energetic" that she adapted quickly even in a stranger's home. "She mixed easily with everyone. Within a week, she picked up fluent Hindi and was cheerful when we found her," he said. The officer added that the child's vivacity made her both endearing and vulnerable—something that may have made it easier for the accused to approach her.Her mother, who begs for a living and often leaves her two children unattended at the station, was inconsolable when the GRP informed her of the abduction. "She kept saying she only stepped away for a few minutes," an officer said.The abduction occurred on November 17. A case was registered under Sections 137(2) and 142 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after eyewitnesses said a woman walked off with the child, promising to return after feeding her.GRP Raipur activated teams across multiple stations and alerted railway and district police networks. CCTV footage from Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Gondia, and Nagpur provided the crucial breakthrough—showing the woman travelling with the child.Acting on technical inputs and a tip-off, a GRP team tracked the accused to Hathras. Jyoti Devi confessed during questioning that she travelled from Mathura to Raipur and then onward with the child, intending to continue her journey to Puri.The child was identified by her family and reunited with them safely.Officials say the case highlights not only the vulnerability of children in public spaces but also the precarious lives of families forced to live on railway platforms. "This rescue was a relief, but it also reminds us of how easily such children can fall prey to exploitation," an officer said. Jyoti Devi has been arrested, and further investigation is underway.