MISSING BOY FOUND AFTER SIX MONTHS

Six-year-old Suraj Vishwakarma, a resident of Yadav Nagar in Rabale, who had gone missing six months ago, was found by the police in an orphanage in Dombivli.

Suraj’s grandmother Nirmala had on April 26 complained to Rabale police that the boy had gone missing around 8.30am when he was playing in front of the house.

With no trace of the child, the case was transferred to antihuman trafficking (AHT) unit of Navi Mumbai crime branch on October.

Police inspector Pushpalata Dighe, who heads the department, said: “We also explored the possibility of the child being handed over to any of the orphanages or child welfare centres of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai area. Our teams looked for him in each of these centres.”

She added, “During the search, police constable Prashant Gaikwad, who had gone to Dombivli’s Janani Ashish Charitable trust-run primary childcare centre, found a boy whose description matched with Suraj. He then informed us about it.”

A police team comprising police sub-inspector Rupali Pol and other personnel went to the children home with more details and confirmed the boy’s identity.

The child was then shown to the parents who confirmed that he was their missing son. The child was brought back to the city on Tuesday.

Police inspector Pushpalata Dighe said: “His parents are separated and the child lived with his grandmother in Rabale. Now both parents want the child.”