TL;DR: A man threw chilli powder at a father's face and kidnapped his 3-year-old son in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The child was rescued; the suspect is still on the run.
What Happened
- A 3-year-old boy was kidnapped in Gudiyatham, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday while returning home from school with his father, Venu.
- The kidnapper sprayed chilli powder in Venu’s eyes, grabbed the child, and fled in a white car with a Karnataka number plate.
- Venu chased the car, clung to its door, and fell, captured on CCTV. He later said, "The man wearing a helmet sprayed chilly powder into my eyes and took away my child. I pulled him, but he managed to escape with my son."
- A packet of chilli powder was recovered at the scene; traces were found on Venu’s clothes.
Rescue and Investigation
- The child was rescued soon after by police; visuals showed Venu holding his traumatised son inside a police vehicle.
- The accused is still at large; motive is unknown, according to a senior police officer who said, "We don't know the motive. We are investigating."
- Police believe the car’s number plate was fake and have alerted all border check-posts to trace the vehicle.