Thanks to a responsible Whitefield traffic warden in Bengaluru, a 2-year girl who had gone missing was reunited with her family within four hours. The incident reportedly took place on Sunday, October 14 when the child, later identified as Neetu lost her way while playing near her relative’s house.
What had happened?
Traffic warden Manju Mehra was busy watering plants in her balcony at around 3 in the afternoon when she was off work. She then noticed a little girl wandering unattended on the road which intrigued her curiosity. “I immediately went to her and tried to talk to her. The child appeared tired and seemed to be hungry. I took her to my home, fed her some food and washed her face before taking her to the Whitefield police station,” Mehra told The Times Of India.
Mehra immediately alerted the network to look for anyone who has filed a report for missing child recently. On her way to the police station, she started knocking at doors, asking people if they had heard about any child who went missing. After informing the police, an alert was also sounded on the Police Control Room’s helpline as well as wireless networks and Whatsapp groups. The officers also attempted to talk to the girl about the whereabouts and details of her parents. After persistent efforts, the counsellors got the child to reveal the names of her parents and herself. On asking about the place where she lived, the girl, Neetu replied ‘doora’ which means ‘far away’.
Child reunited with parents
Around 7 pm the same day, a couple entered the station to lodge a complaint about their only child who had gone missing in the afternoon. They were the parents of the girl, who Mehra brought to the police station. She had gone missing while playing hide and seek in front of her relative’s house in Sai Layout during the afternoon. “The parents stay in Jayanagar and were visiting a relative in Sai Layout. The girl had come out of the house to play when she lost her way and was spotted by Mehra,” the police said.
Police at Whitefield crosschecked the credentials of the parents before finally reuniting them with their 2-year-old daughter. They also warned the parents to be more careful in taking care of their child. According to the father, Neetu went to look for kids while playing hide and seek and accidentally landed up on the road where Mehra found her. The girl had lost her way. However, the parents remained unaware for some hours before they actually realized that the girl was nowhere to be seen. Then, they approached the police.
It was Manju Mehra’s vigilance and quick action that led to the little girl being reunited with her parents. She explained how some of the neighbours even warned her to not take the girl to the police station as they may mistake her for a child lifter. However, it was her compassion as a mother a girl that led her to continue with her efforts which ultimately proved fruitful. The Logical Indian community applauds Mehra’s efforts in helping bring back a child to their parents.
Also Read: Delhi Constable & Auto-Rickshaw Driver Went Door-To-Door To Help A Lost Child Find His Home