Kollam abduction case: Accused planned to kidnap more children, prepared list of families

Kollam: Police investigation into the 6-year-old girl's abduction in Oyoor here revealed that the prime accused, Padmakumar, was also planning on kidnapping more children. The police discovered the accused's diary, which contained extensive entries on families with young kids, their residences, and financial details.

The plan was to abduct children from Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Padmakumar reviewed everything in the vicinity of children's homes, such as the spots monitored by CCTV cameras, the ways to get there, and so on. According to police, the accused spent months planning the abduction. 

Meanwhile, the police have retrieved CCTV visuals of the accused's car from Chadayamangalam and Pallikal in Thiruvananthapuram districts. He allegedly spent three hours monitoring a child near the Kunjayappa temple region, but the abduction attempt failed there. 

Following this, Padmakumar, his wife and daughter kidnapped the six-year-old girl in Oyoor, Kollam, on November 27. Days before the event, police found footage of the car frequenting the areas around here. The accused also informed the police that the extortion attempt failed in many places. 

He had planned to demand a ransom starting at Rs 3 lakhs based on the parents' financial capabilities. Padmakumar calculated that this was the best way to settle his financial debts. The abductors thought that since they were not demanding large sums, the parents would pay the sum without informing the police.