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Indore centre gets 1 week to submit report on Geeta

More than a month after the ministry of external affairs (MEA) created and released a 10-year-old picture of Geeta to help her trace her kin, there seems to be no end to the ordeal.

More than a month after the ministry of external affairs (MEA) created and released a 10-year-old picture of Geeta to help her trace her kin, there seems to be no end to the ordeal. While Geeta has rejected three couples, who approached the Indore-based institute claiming to be her parents recently, the government has now asked the institute to fetch more clues from Geeta about her parents or the place where she would have lived and submit a report within a week.

“After the photo was released, three families come forward saying that perhaps Geeta was their child. But Geeta did not recognise anyone and has not said that they may be her parents. The MEA has now asked us to get more details from her regarding the surroundings where she lived etc. Now that she can communicate in sign language better we have been asking her these questions. We have to send a report to the ministry within a week,”Monica Punjabi, director at Indore-based Mook Badhir Sangathan (an institute for persons with disabilities), where Geeta has been staying, told this newspaper.

As of now, the government has been unable to trace the parents of Geeta, who was brought to India from Pakistan in October. Geeta (23) was reportedly just 7 or 8 years old when she was found sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express by Pakistani Rangers 15 years ago at the Lahore railway station.

So far a DNA test was carried on one Mahato family from Bihar to establish Geeta’s parentage but the result turned out to be negative. Thereafter, in December, the the ministry had to work on the picture based on the information given by Geeta about her appearance then. However, that too doesn’t seem to have helped unite her with her long-lost family. “She is happy here. On January 26 she was attended one programme as a chief guest, she danced and enjoyed but often she gets worried about her family. We are trying to get more details from her and hope that it helps,” added Monica Punjabi.

At the Indore Bilingual academy for the deaf, Geeta is learning sign language and getting skill based training. Her day starts by praying at a nearby temple.

Geeta had returned to India amid much fanfare on October 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself welcomed her back and had announced a donation of Rs one crore for the Pakistani foundation Edhi which took care of her in Karachi. Her story came to light after the release of Salman Khan starrer ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ in which the hero helps unite a girl separated from her Pakistani mother who was visiting India.

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