Kakinada

Thesearch for a two-year-old girl who went missing from Ch Agraharam village in Kakinada district entered its 12th day on Wednesday, with police continuing an extensive investigation and exploring all possible angles, including abduction, an animal attack and family-related disputes.

The child disappeared on June 6 after reportedly walking towards a cashew plantation near her village along with the family’s pet dog. She was last seen near a fence bordering the plantation. A villager who noticed her tried to alert the family but was attacked by the dog when he approached. By the time relatives and villagers reached the spot about 35 minutes later, the child had vanished.

A large-scale search operation involving police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), dog squads, technical teams, forest officials and other departments has been underway since then.

Police said they have examined CCTV footage, questioned transport operators and analysed mobile phone data from the area. Around 170 mobile numbers active near the scene at the time of the incident have been identified and are being scrutinised. Investigators have also surveyed all 470 houses in the village and questioned nearly 150 residents.

Authorities are tracing seasonal workers and nomadic groups that frequented the area during the cashew season. A group that had camped nearby with dogs before the incident is also being questioned. Police dismissed speculation surrounding a local resident who had initially come under suspicion, saying repeated questioning by multiple teams revealed no evidence linking him to the disappearance.

Investigators are also examining the possibility of an animal attack. In coordination with forest officials, police recreated the circumstances of the disappearance by placing a meat-filled doll at the location where the child was last seen and installing surveillance cameras to monitor animal movement. Residents have reported the presence of jackals, wild dogs, wild boars and pythons in the surrounding forested hills. The family’s pet dog remains a key focus of the investigation. The animal disappeared with the child and returned four days later in a distressed condition. GPS tracking later showed it had travelled nearly eight kilometres along a route previously identified by a police dog squad. Despite fresh searches, no clue was found. The dog subsequently died and underwent a post-mortem examination. Search operations have now been expanded from a six-kilometre radius to nearly 10 kilometres, covering water bodies and 11 interconnected hills.

Hans News Service Kakinada

Homeminister Vangalapudi Anitha on Wednesday visited the family of two-year-old Gnaneshwari, who has been missing from Tuni, and assured them of the government’s full support in tracing the child.

Speaking to the family members, the minister described the disappearance of the toddler as deeply distressing. She said the grief of Gnaneshwari’s mother, who has been anxiously waiting for her daughter’s return, was beyond words. Anitha said the police swung into action immediately after receiving information about the child’s disappearance and launched extensive search operations. She noted that investigators were examining both technical evidence and field-level inputs, with multiple teams conducting searches and pursuing all possible leads. The home minister clarified that the government had shown no negligence in handling the case. She said the investigation was being monitored on a daily basis and assured the family that search efforts would continue until the child’s whereabouts were established.

“The government stands firmly with Gnaneshwari’s family and will provide all necessary support,” she said.

Anitha also expressed concern over what she described as misinformation being circulated on social media platforms and certain YouTube channels regarding the case. She urged those spreading unverified information to stop immediately and warned that legal action would be initiated against individuals or platforms found disseminating false reports. The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to finding the missing child and ensuring that the investigation proceeds without interruption.