Search For Missing Andhra Toddler Enters 10th Day, Cops Warn Against Rumours

The search for two-year-old Gnaneswari, who went missing from a palm oil plantation near Tuni in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh, has entered its 10th day, with police intensifying efforts to trace the child.

Gnaneswari went missing on June 6 from a plantation at CH Agraharam village in Dondavaka Panchayat, where her father works as a caretaker. Despite extensive searches by police, SDRF, NDRF, Forest Department personnel, drone teams and volunteers, no major clue has emerged so far.

Kakinada Superintendent of Police (SP) Bindu Madhav visited the family, inspected the area where the toddler was last seen and reviewed the progress of the investigation. He assured the family that all possible efforts are being made to find the child and appealed to people not to spread rumours about the case.

"Please do not circulate false information. The family's pet dog was also missing for three days. When it returned, it was extremely weak and dehydrated. To rule out any foul play, we conducted a post-mortem and sent samples for forensic examination. We will share details once the report is received," he said.

Madhav said police are analysing CCTV footage, mobile phone records, IPDR data and tower dumps as part of the investigation.

"There is no evidence of a planned abduction. At the same time, we are not ruling out the possibility that someone passing through the area may have taken the child. Technical analysis is being carried out from all angles," he said.

On the possibility of a wild animal attack, Madhav said, "Since the child is very small, we cannot rule out that possibility either. The Forest Department has joined the search, and drone surveillance is continuing."

Police have urged the public to rely only on official updates, saying rumours are causing additional distress to the family.

State home minister V Anitha visited the family, assured all help and instructed officials to locate the child.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has also reviewed the case and spoken to Kakinada district police officials. He directed authorities to further strengthen the search operation by deploying additional NDRF teams, forest personnel and wildlife experts to thoroughly scan the surrounding forest and hill areas. Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Kalyan instructed officials to leave no stone unturned in tracing the child and sought regular updates on the progress of the investigation.

Special teams are combing the plantation, nearby hillocks, forests, canals, wells and surrounding villages. Investigators are examining every possible angle, including whether the child wandered away, was taken by someone, or was attacked by a wild animal.