A decade on, runaway teenager back in city in search of his family

On Thursday, Kumar reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from where he took another train to Andheri. Kumar does not remember much from his childhood, but faintly recalls that his family lived in Belapur in Navi Mumbai

Mumbai: As an eight-year-old boy, Santosh Dhyaneshwar Kumar ran away from home after getting a scolding from his parents. Ten years later, Kumar is now back in the city he once called home, in search of his family, in a story reminiscent of the acclaimed Dev Patel-starrer Lion.

A decade on, runaway teenager back in city in search of his family

On Thursday, Kumar reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) from where he took another train to Andheri. Kumar does not remember much from his childhood, but faintly recalls that his family lived in Belapur in Navi Mumbai. Finding himself lost at the platform, Kumar approached a commuter for help. After speaking to Kumar for some time, the commuter realised Kumar was lost and so he took him to the Government Railway Police (GRP) unit at Andheri for help. The officers are now trying to help Kumar trace his family.

GRP officials say Kumar has little memory of what exactly happened after he left his home a decade ago or how he landed in Kolkata as a child. All he remembers is that he was taken to a children’s home in Kolkata by the Commission for Child and Women where he has been living for the last ten years.

“I knew that I had to reach Mumbai. I was waiting to come back to my family, but I didn’t know where to find them. For the past 10 years, I have regretted leaving my loved ones and now I want to be with them,” said Kumar.

Dattatray Nikam, senior police inspector of Andheri GRP said that they are trying to do their best to trace the teenager’s family. “We had sent an officer to Belapur to the missing persons’ bureau to find out if there was any complaint filed by his parents when he went missing, but we have not found anything so far.”

As Kumar has said he wants to find his family on his own, the GRP has taken his statement and allowed him to go. But the officers are keeping a track of where he goes. “We will also ask him to keep us informed on his whereabouts or if he finds a place to work,” said Nikam.

“I am thankful to the police for helping me, but now I want to continue the search by myself. I do not want to be confined at the police station after being in a Children’s Home for 10 years,” Kumar concluded.