Night of fear turns to joy: Missing women rescued by Nirmal Police in Kappanapalli forest in Telangana

The family members of the missing women, who went into the forest to collect Tendu leaves, tried to contact them over phone, but they could not and even as the villagers launched a search, police was also informed.

Nirmal: The nerve-wracking suspense over the fate of four women, who lost their way in the forest near Kappanapalli village, ended on Friday morning when police teams located and brought them back to their village.

Improptu celebrations broke out in Kappanapalli as the missing women, who went into the forest to collect Tendu leaves, returned home safely, albeit a bit shaken. For the 50 odd police personnel, who constituted special teams, to track the missing women, it was no less joy, as their six-hour-long search, both physical and ably assisted by drone cameras and cell phone signal tracking methods.

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The hair-raising drama unfoled on Thursday night, when Kappanapalli residents realised the four women did not return home in the evening. The women – Rajula Radha, Kambala Lingavva, Gattumedi Laxmi and Battula Saroja had gone into the forest to collect Tendu leaves. The worried villagers launched a search on their own, but could not locate the women. Finally, the district police was alerted.

For the police, it was turning out to be a massive exercise. Quickly, over 50 policemen and women available in the nearby stations were summoned and special teams constituted and led personally by the SP Dr Janaki Sharmila.

Each team was assigned a sector for search even as back-end teams began scouring for mobile phone signals based on cell phone towers were triangulated for determining the possible locations. Drones were also used to fly over the area in the hope of locating the missing women, as overall rescue operation was supervised by ASP Rajesh Meena.

The forest area on the fringes of Kappanapalli village in Mamda mandal, thickens as one moves deep into the forest. This being the summer season, there is not much verdancy making it slightly better for visibility for the search teams, but dried up forest also posed equal danger. Wild animals tend to move towards human habitations in search of water and food.

The four women, who are adept in collection of Tendu leaves, obviously went deep inside. Though the villagers would know the beaten tracks like the back of their hand and generally good in detecting directions, these women lost their way. Two of them were carrying mobile phones, but there was the problem of connectivity making it the task of tracking more difficult for the police teams.

Their family members tried to contact them over phone, but they could not and even as the villagers launched a search, police was also informed.

Meanwhile, the missing woman continued to wander in the night. The first breakthrough for the police teams came when the mobile phones picked up faint signals at one point. Enthused by this police teams moved in on foot and on tractors from different directions. As the daylight broke, drones were used to scout the area and by 9 a.m on Friday, the four panicked women were located.

Confident of locating the missing women, the police teams also carried fruits and water and given to the women. The tense search operation ended and cheer spread through the police teams too.

With the women brought back to village safe, the overjoyed villagers felicitated Sharmila, Rajesh and the police teams. Inspectors Govardhan Reddy, Shekhar, Ramesh, sub-inspectors and members of special parties and women-oriented police teams participated in the mission were thanked profusely.