CHENNAI: The mother of the 7-year-old girl who went missing from Alampoondi near Gingee in Villupuram district has expressed hope that her daughter will return home alive, as the CB-CID intensifies its investigation into the case, which has remained unresolved for 18 days.
The girl's mother, Bhavani, said she and her family visited a Shiva temple in their village and were told that the child is alive and would be found soon. She said the police were conducting a thorough investigation and had assured the family that they would receive positive information in the next two to three days, as reported by Maalaimalar.
The CB-CID has set up a temporary interrogation centre at a school in Alampoondi and has been questioning the girl's family members, relatives and neighbours. The girl's parents, grandmother, sister, relatives and neighbours have been questioned over the past six days.
The police have also questioned a suspect with a criminal record for six hours. However, the interrogation did not yield any information, according to the details available.
As part of the second phase of the investigation, CB-CID teams led by Deputy Superintendents of Police Geetha and Velmurugan visited the school where the girl studied and examined student attendance records. Teachers were questioned about the girl's activities and habits at school.
The team also visited the college of the girl's elder sister in Kilpennathur in Tiruvannamalai district and questioned her friends. Two youths were also questioned on suspicion. While some details are said to have emerged from these inquiries, the investigation is continuing.
The police have also learnt that some of the girl's relatives are in Bengaluru. A team has been sent there to question them directly.
The missing girl, identified as Hemavathi, is the second daughter of the couple Vadivelu and Bhavani, who reside on Kulakkarai Street in Alampoondi village near Gingee.
The girl went missing under mysterious circumstances in the early hours of October 12. According to the complaint lodged by her parents, after celebrating her birthday on October 11, she was sleeping inside her house at midnight when she suddenly disappeared.