Missing 12-yr-old boy traced; says he escaped abusive kin

In accordance with a Supreme Court ruling and subsequent decision of the government in 2013, an FIR under charges of kidnapping was registered against unidentified persons as the case pertained to disappearance of a child under the age of 14 years.

Initial investigation was conducted by a team from Lonavala City Police station and after a few days, the matter was also referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Pune Rural police and a joint probe was launched.

The investigation, based on various technical leads and intelligence gathered from local sources, did not yield any results. But two weeks ago, the police received fresh leads about the boy’s location and he was traced in a different part of Lonavala.

The boy initially told police that he was drugged and when he woke up, he was in Delhi. He told police that he was drugged again and taken to another location where he was forced to beg on the street.

A preliminary probe was launched into the possible kidnapping and human trafficking. The police however saw some missing links in the story that the boy was telling. A few days into the probe, as investigators gained the boy’s trust, he told them exactly what had happened in presence of his grandmother, which the police have also verified.

Probe now suggests that the boy was sometimes beaten up by his paternal aunt and uncle. Because of this, he had been thinking of leaving his house and had tried it once earlier. In January, he left the house and went to Badlapur in Thane via train. He lived off the street and earned money by working at a small shop. He had returned to Lonavala a few days before he was traced by the police.

Officials said the boy was now being provided counselling and will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee, where his case will be heard and directions will be passed about his future living arrangements.