Eighteen hours on, a six-year-old girl abducted by a gang in a car from Oyoor in Kollam district of Kerala remains untraced despite a statewide hunt by the local police.

The girl, a student of Class 1 and a resident of Oyoor, was abducted by a gang of four, including a woman in a white Sedan around 4.45pm on Monday. The girl was taken away while she was walking to a tuition centre from her home with her elder brother, the family told the police.

Soon after the incident was reported to the police, the cops launched an extensive statewide hunt sensing that the abduction was carefully planned by the gang. The police measures included checking CCTV footage, frisking vehicles on state and national highways and tracing calls from nearby cell towers.

The girl’s family have additionally told the media that two calls for ransom were received purportedly from the abduction gang. While the caller, a woman, in the first call demanded ₹5 lakh in exchange for the child, in the second call, the ransom demanded was ₹10 lakh. The caller also asked the family not to inform the police about it.

The incident and the subsequent police probe have received wall to wall, breathless coverage on local TV news channels for the past several hours.

Finance minister KN Balagopal, who belongs to Kollam district, said on Tuesday morning, “We are hoping that the child is rescued safely soon. There is certainly an atmosphere of uncertainty. Police are actively investigating the case from all angles. I have communicated with the chief minister about the incident today as well.”

CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday night had directed the state police chief to ensure a spirited and speedy investigation to catch the culprits and rescue the child.