NEW DELHI: Somvati was reunited with her 12-year-old daughter last week after almost four months. Back in July, she had lost all hope of finding her child who had been missing since first week of May. She had also approached the police but there was no hope. At that time, someone suggested approaching the office of local MLA Raghav Chadha.
“My daughter had gone to play in the evening. She didn’t return till late night and we were worried, the next day we went to the police station with her photograph and documents. We heard nothing from them for two months. Then, at end of July, I went to the MLA’s office.
They assured us of help in finding the child,” said Somvati. Payal Sarkar, a research fellow working with Chadha, took up the matter and sought help from advocate Shreyans Raniwala to support Somavati with legal aid and also make fast track the process. “The girl went missing from her locality on May 5. Her mother had registered a complaint in the police station.
According to the mother, police had not disclosed the progress in the investigation nor questioned any suspects. The advocate filed a complaint at MM court for a court-monitored probe. The IO sent a two page report to the court stating all the formal procedures have been followed yet there was no trace of the child,” said Payal.
Sarkar, meanwhile, had approached associates from Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to spread the word to find the girl and help in the case. The child was found at Old Delhi Railway Station, playing with other homeless children. “She was found on August 29. She cannot remember how she had reached the station and been staying there for how many days. The cops were informed and she was taken to police station and then Child Welfare Committee for further inspection,” Sarkar said.