Two minors have gone missing from the Vasai-Virar area when they were on their way to visit Ganpati pandals in the vicinity of their home.
Two minors have gone missing from the Vasai-Virar area when they were on their way to visit Ganpati pandals in the vicinity of their home.
According to the police, the two children — Parmila Pathak (15) and Shakil Ansari (11), residents of Dhanivbaug in Nallasopara — told their respective mothers late on Saturday evening that they were going to visit the Ganpati pandals in the area, but neither of them returned home even after three hours. The families of both the minors then lodged complaints with the police.
Confirming the incident, an officer from Tulinj police station said that the two children aren’t related to each other, adding that both, however, went missing when they were on their way to visit pandals. The police are now going to question the volunteers at the various pandals in order to identify the reason behind children going missing. The officer further said that the police are also going to question the classmates of the children.
Meanwhile, a police source told this newspaper that two other children had gone missing from the area on Friday as well, and officials suspect that a child-trafficking network is active there. Inverstigations are on in this direction, the source said. Police officers are also questioning repeat offenders in the area.
The two children who went missing on Friday are Aishwarya Singh (12), a Rajawali resident, and Abdul Sammi Shaikh, who disappeared while playing in a ground near his house.
