Stranger rescues stranded Sri Lankan girl

The girl had reportedly boarded a bus to Mattuthavani at the integrated bus stand on her return from school. Later, she had taken a bus to Tiruchi at around 5 p.m

A sympathetic woman rescued an 11-year-old girl fleeing from her home in the Sri Lankan refugee camp near Madurai, India, and re-united her with her family with the help of the Tiruchi Police on Thursday night.

If not for her timely help, the girl might have been stranded somewhere as she did not have money even for bus fare to reach Tiruchi. Sources said she had been on her way to Chennai to meet her mother.

The girl had reportedly boarded a bus to Mattuthavani at the integrated bus stand on her return from school. Later, she had taken a bus to Tiruchi at around 5 p.m.

It was only after the bus reached somewhere near Kottamapatti, the conductor asked her to buy a ticket. As the girl didn’t have any money, she had looked helpless when the conductor insisted that she bought the ticket.

According to the girl’s father, a woman who had been seated next to her had offered to pay for her ticket. However, when the woman later got to know that the girl had run away from home to meet her mother in Chennai and sought police help, the father said.

He added that the girl’s mother had left them for another man in Chennai and married her paramour. Sources said the girl’s father had also remarried.

“Only ten days back, the girl had met her mother in Chennai during the vacation. But, suddenly she wanted to meet her again and left for Chennai without our knowledge,” the father said.

Even as all efforts by to trace the girl went futile, the father had lodged a complaint at the Othakadai Police station.

Unexpectedly, the girl’s stepmother had received a call at around 10.45 p.m. from the All Women Police Station in Tiruchi stating that the girl was safe with them.

(THE HINDU)