'Mission Reunite': Mumbai Police Traces 487 Missing Children In Just 45 Days

The 'Mission Reunite' initiative launched by the Mumbai Police force to trace missing children has reportedly traced 487 children within six weeks. Even though the initiative was flagged off as a month-long project, the police force has been actively looking into missing cases for about six weeks since August 15. The missing children who were traced were reunited with their families, and the parents were given the necessary counselling sessions to avoid the repetition of similar incidents.

'Most Cases Involved Runaway Children'

According to police statements, 135 girls and 68 boys who were reported missing to the Mumbai Police were traced back within six weeks of the project. Besides, 122 girls and 154 boys, who were not reported missing but were seen without any guardian, were found and reunited with their families. Eight underage boys who were found involved in child labour were also reunited with their families.

A report by the Indian Express quoted a senior official stating that the majority of the children who went missing from one part of the city were found in another part. It was rare that the forces had to go out of the state looking for the missing children.

Most of the missing cases had minors running away from home due to reasons such as family disputes, not being cared for by the family, and so on. They were mostly found abandoned in different parts of the city. Leaving the safety of their homes, the children were seen living on roads or in cramped makeshift houses. Upon helping them reunite with their families, the officials ensured that the parents received the necessary counselling before the kids were handed over to them.

Mission To Bring Together Estranged Families

The initiative to reunite missing or abducted children with their families started off on August 15, the country's Independence Day. It was expected to go on until September 15, but was extended till the 30th, with officials actively on the lookout for the missing children.

During the launch, the city police requested help from citizens to help them locate the missing or abducted children and appealed to them to provide information through their helpline numbers 100 or 1098. They were open to all calls regarding children found in suspicious conditions, those seen begging in public areas or engaged in rag-picking, or even those seen going around without elderly supervision.

Mumbai police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar launched the mission after a 16-year-old girl from Andheri was reunited with her family after having been abducted and reported missing nine years ago.

In the course of the investigation, the police were able to find that the girl's kidnappers had kept her confined in a residence that was less than a kilometre away from the girl's home. The incident nudged the officials to relook into the reported and unreported missing child cases.

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