Villupuram: The search for a seven-year-old girl who went missing under mysterious circumstances entered its tenth day on Wednesday at Alampoondi village, near Gingee, in Villupuram district. Despite massive deployment and extensive searches, police are yet to find tangible clues regarding the child’s whereabouts, leaving investigators baffled and villagers anxious.The missing child, V Hemavathi, a Class II student at a govt primary school in Alampoondi, is the youngest daughter of Vadivelu, a daily-wage worker, and V Bhavani from Kulakarai Street, Alampoondi village. She celebrated her birthday on Oct 11 at home and went missing on the morning of Oct 12.Following a search in surrounding areas, her father lodged a complaint with the Sathiyamangalam police. Police launched initial searches using drones and a sniffer dog. Due to the lack of early leads, the operation was scaled up significantly — three deputy superintendents of police are heading eight special teams comprising more than 100 police personnel who are combing the area.Police have scoured local waterbodies, hillocks and sugarcane fields around Alampoondi. Extensive inquiries have been conducted with the girl’s family, relatives, neighbours, and villagers. Investigators have also analysed CCTV footage and mobile tower data from the vicinity.Police began digging up garbage dump sites near the girl’s residence to check for evidence or clues. Additionally, they have initiated direct door-to-door verification in Alampoondi and neighbouring villages based on phone call records and mobile data gathered from the area. The inability to trace the young girl after 10 days has heightened tension and concern among villagers regarding her safety.
