Mumbai: A 17-year-old girl who had run away from home was spotted by an alert female police constable among the hundreds thronging the Gateway of India on Independence Day, and reunited with her parents.
The girl, Gayatri Alandikar (17), was found roaming by constable Jijabai Pawar attached to Colaba police station. Officers said Ms. Pawar was assigned with patrolling the Gateway and its vicinity.
“The girl first told Ms. Pawar that she had lost her parents several years ago and was homeless. However, Ms. Pawar found her story unconvincing and questioned her for a long time, which threw up discrepancies in her claims.
Ms. Pawar then spoke to her at length and won her confidence, before once again asking about herself,” Vijay Dhopavkar, senior police inspector, Colaba police station, said.
Finally, after over two hours of cajoling, the girl admitted that she had run away from her residence in Dehu, Pune, on August 14, after being scolded by her mother for watching too much television. She left home in a huff and got on the first train she could, which brought her to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station. She had been roaming around south Mumbai since then.
The police then counselled her, telling her about the risks of her actions. They then took her parents’ contact details from her and called them up, and they confirmed that their daughter had been missing.
Her parents reached the police station on Thursday, with documents certifying Ms. Alandikar’s identity and their relationship with her, after which she was handed over to them.
“Ms. Pawar did an excellent job, especially in light of the fact that a minor girl all by herself in the city could be exposed to countless risks,” Mr. Dhopavkar said.
