Kochi: The alleged child abduction attempt reported from Ponekkara on Friday evening may have been a misunderstanding, police said. According to officers, the individuals in the car were Oman nationals on their way to a hospital in Edapally. They offered chocolates to the children out of affection, with no malicious intent.

The two sisters, aged 6 and 5, had claimed that two men and a woman in a car tried to abduct them while they were walking to their tutor’s house around 5 pm. The girls said the vehicle sped away after a stray dog charged at the occupants of the car. Police have recorded the children’s statements and are verifying the details. No case has been registered so far.

According to the children, the car, which was parked by the roadside, started as they walked past and stopped near them. The occupants then offered chocolates. Though the elder girl refused to accept it, the younger one took the chocolate.

"I snatched it from her and threw it away. Then they tried to pull my sister into the car. As she cried aloud, a dog that was sleeping nearby woke up and charged towards the car. Then they shut the door and sped away," the elder girl told the police.

The girls informed their tutor about the incident, after which the family alerted the police. Officers visited the spot and spoke to the girls. The vehicle could not be immediately located as there were no CCTV cameras in the area. However, the elder girl later identified the car from footage obtained from a distance. She noted that it had a carrier on top.