Thiruvananthapuram - Amid heightened concern over the abduction of a six-year-old girl from Pooyappally in southern Kerala on Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed the state police to escalate their investigation.

Shortly after the incident, the chief minister directed the state police chief to ensure a thorough and prompt investigation, as mentioned in a statement from his office.

Vijayan emphasized that the police are actively searching for the girl and urged the public not to disseminate misinformation about the incident.

Meanwhile, reports from television news channels indicated that the parents received another ransom call from the kidnappers.

According to audio recordings of the alleged ransom call, the kidnappers claimed the girl is safe and unharmed, promising her return on Wednesday morning upon payment of Rs one million. The parents were also warned against involving the police.

Earlier, a ransom call demanding Rs 500 thousand was received by the parents a few hours after the abduction.

As television crews, relatives, neighbors, and police gathered at the victim's residence, a dramatic turn of events unfolded.

A call was made to the girl's mother's mobile phone, initially raising hopes that news of the child's location had been discovered. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as it was revealed to be another ransom call, this time demanding Rs 500 thousand for the safe return of the girl.

The police have heightened efforts to locate the girl, conducting thorough vehicle checks on major and minor roads in the southern districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Visuals captured by police officers leads to the inspection of vehicles those of white color, along the roads.

The suspected kidnappers, believed to be a group of four, including a woman, reportedly used a white car to abduct the girl while she was on her way to tuition classes with her eight-year-old brother. The boy's statement to the police revealed that when he attempted to intervene, the abductors pushed him aside and fled with the girl in the car.

CCTV footage from cameras in the area is under scrutiny, and the vehicle used in the kidnapping is suspected to be a white sedan, possibly a Honda Amaze or a Swift Dzire, according to an officer from the Pooyappally police station.

The incident occurred between 4 pm and 4:30 pm, resulting in the victim's brother sustaining knee injuries while trying to protect his sister, as per police statements. The parents of the children work as nurses in two separate private hospitals.