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FBI Hunt for Indian Who May Have Abducted Daughter

Suleman Din

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is joining forces with suburban Illinois police in their hunt for a man who may have kidnapped his 10-month-old daughter last August.

Narsi Reddy Tippireddy, 30, has been charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution after being charged with child abduction by Cook County police. Authorities believe he may have taken his daughter to North Carolina and India.

"We consider him very dangerous," said Mary Lynn Muha, a spokesperson for the FBI in Chicago.

Arlington Heights police believe Tippireddy is in North Carolina, and are working with authorities there to locate him.

A criminal complaint in the US District Court details the struggle between Tippireddy and his wife, Sireesha Bhimavarapu, soon after the birth of their daughter, Haniska, last April 12.

According to the report, Bhimavarapu claimed Tippireddy was abusive, and moved in July to another part of Illinois with her daughter.

Bhimavapu remained apart from her husband, but allowed him to see his baby girl on August 21. But five days later she found his apartment empty, and her baby gone.

She panicked, and wondered what to do. After a number of tries, she reached Tippireddy on his cell phone. He told her he was driving to North Carolina. He said he would not give back Haniska, so Bhimavarapu went to the police.

Unfortunately, the policeman she spoke to misunderstood the situation.

"He felt it was a civil matter, when in fact it was a criminal one," explained Arlington Heights Sergeant Kenneth Galinski.

"It's unfortunate that happened, but we get 36,000 calls a year, and we only have 110 patrolmen," he said.

Bhimavarapu's nightmare continued for months until she learned in January that the infant was with Tippireddy at a relative's home in North Carolina.

On February 3, she got an e-mail from Tippireddy. He wanted to meet. Bhimavarapu agreed, and he came over and drove her to a local shopping center.

Tippireddy was hungry. He wanted dinner, and they went to a restaurant. But food was not on Bhimavarapu's mind. She wanted to know about her daughter.

She demanded that Tippireddy return the child to her, but he refused, saying the girl was in India with his parents.

He then took out two color pictures of Haniska, admiring her.

Bhimavarapu pressed him again, demanding she get her daughter back.

Tippireddy recoiled, and allegedly threatened to kill Bhimavarapu's family and her sister's unborn child in India if she continued to demand the girl's return.

The next day, an arrest warrant was issued for Tippireddy, charging him with child abduction. Bhimavarapu then asked for the FBI's assistance.

The Federal arrest warrant allow the FBI to look for the child in North Carolina and begin extradition efforts in India.

Sgt Galinski thinks Tippireddy, who has lived in the neighboring locality of Palatine and was in the area earlier this month, will return.

"There is definitely a possibility of that," he said, "he has contacted his wife several times."

Sgt Galinski feels though it is a bitter custody case, Tippireddy is taking care of the girl.

The FBI would not divulge details about its investigation, but are aware the kidnapping could become a hostage situation, with Haniska's life in danger.

"We are prepared for any type of possibility," said FBI spokesperson Muha. "We hope it doesn't come to that, but it does happen, and we look at the whole picture."

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