Karnataka cops use WhatsApp to reunite lost, speech-impaired minor girl with family

“She had reached the last stop of the bus, and when the conductor asked her to get down, she appeared confused and worried. She was unable to tell him where she wanted to go. The conductor and some people on the bus then realised that she could not speak and alerted the police through 112,” a police officer said.

Local police officers then reached the spot and took the girl to safety. She was subsequently produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and sent to a government-run children’s home.

Family alerted

Since the girl is a minor, the police initially did not circulate her photograph and personal details widely on WhatsApp. The matter was later taken up with senior officers. Following their directions, her photograph and details were circulated among police WhatsApp groups to establish her identity.

The effort helped the police trace the girl’s family within two days. “When her photograph was circulated on police WhatsApp groups, her brother came across it through a local police officer. He identified her as his sister, following which we verified the details and contacted the family,” the officer said.

The family had also searched for the girl at the hospital after she failed to return home. A missing person’s complaint was subsequently registered at the Channagiri police station.

After the family was traced, they were asked to appear before the CWC. Following the necessary procedures, the girl was formally reunited with her family on August 27.