3 min readMumbaiJun 5, 2026 03:16 PM IST
First published on: Jun 5, 2026 at 03:16 PM IST
A 17-year-old girl from South Mumbai who allegedly left home with Rs 10.5 lakh in cash after coming in contact with a man through an online gaming platform was traced and rescued by Mumbai Police in Gujarat following an inter-state search operation.
According to police, the teenager, who recently cleared her SSC examinations, lives with her family under the jurisdiction of Sir J.J. Marg Police Station. Her family is engaged in scrap and garment businesses.
Investigators said the girl frequently used the online gaming application Ludo, which offers chat and voice communication features. During gameplay, she came in contact with a man identified as Ziyan Shaikh, with whom she allegedly developed regular communication.
Police said Shaikh allegedly claimed to be wealthy, told the girl he owned a bungalow in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and promised to marry her. He allegedly persuaded her to leave her family and bring cash and jewellery from home.
On May 16, the girl allegedly left her residence around 3 a.m. after taking Rs 10.5 lakh in cash. When family members were unable to locate her, her mother approached police later that day. A complaint was registered at Sir J.J. Marg Police Station at 5.03 p.m. under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A police team led by Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Prashant Nerkar launched an investigation, analysing CCTV footage, digital evidence and technical inputs. Investigators traced the girl’s movements from South Mumbai to Thane, where she reportedly spent the day shopping and purchased a new mobile phone.
Police said a key breakthrough came from the teenager’s social media activity. After allegedly being instructed to obtain a new SIM card, she attempted to do so but was unable to purchase one because she did not have her Aadhaar card. She later connected her new phone to a shopkeeper’s Wi-Fi network, logged into Instagram and uploaded a photograph. Investigators used that activity to track her location and subsequently learned that she had boarded a private bus bound for Jodhpur.
Following the lead, PSI Nerkar and his team travelled towards Gujarat while coordinating with the Gujarat Crime Branch. Police set up checks along the Surat-Vadodara highway and intercepted buses operated by the travel company identified during the investigation.
According to police, more than 30 buses were searched over a period of four to five hours. The teenager was eventually located on one of the buses in Gujarat between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. and was safely brought back to Mumbai.
Police said the girl had spent nearly Rs 1 lakh on shopping and the purchase of a mobile phone before being traced.
Investigators said the girl frequently used the online gaming application Ludo, which offers chat and voice communication features. (Image generated using AI) 
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