A team from the Nagpada police station has set out for Varanasi to bring back two of the three minor children who had gone missing from Madanpura area last Sunday.
A team from the Nagpada police station has set out for Varanasi to bring back two of the three minor children who had gone missing from Madanpura area last Sunday. Sources said the children would be home only by next week.
Three children Kulsum Khan (6), Tarannum Rasul (6) and Gulfam Rasul (4) went missing while playing near their house in the Madanpura area of Nagpada. On Thursday, the police said Kulsum and Tarannum had been traced to Varanasi. However, there are no leads yet about the youngest, Gulfam.
Sources in the Nagpada police said the children had got into a train with a woman in her late 40s who had allegedly lured them with a box of sweets. Kulsum and Tarannum, who were spotted by a patrolling officer at Varanasi station, were taken into custody after the officer did not get satisfactory answers from them about their address.
When questioned, the children were able to tell the police about a woman who had brought them to Varanasi.
“They mentioned that she had taken Gulfam with her but these two girls had somehow been left behind. We have been able to get some details from them regarding her appearance and are working on tracing her and the minor boy,” said an officer. The Mumbai police is working with the Varanasi police and has started scanning CCTV footage at major railway stations to identify her.
The girls, who are now in a children’s home in Varanasi, have spoken to their parents and are doing well.
A senior officer at the Nagpada police said since the Child Welfare Commission officers would not be available on Sunday, the process would take time. “Our officers have gone by train to Varanasi and will reach only Saturday evening. The CWC officers, alongwith Varanasi police, will meet them on Monday and hopefully we’ll have their custody same evening and can take a train back,” he said.
