15-year-old girl stays in Bhiwandi as boy after leaving Pune home

A 15-year-old boy was summoned by Shanti Nagar Police in Bhiwandi for questioning late on Saturday evening after locals complained that he was seen roaming or begging on the streets and refused to tell his name

A 15-year-old boy was summoned by Shanti Nagar Police in Bhiwandi for questioning late on Saturday evening after locals complained that he was seen roaming or begging on the streets and refused to tell his name.

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The police, who questioned him for almost a day, were shocked to learn that the boy was actually a girl in disguise. The girl had run away from her home in Pune eight months ago to work in Mumbai and landed in Bhiwandi. When she failed to get a job and was forced to stay on streets, she cut her hair and dressed as a boy for self-protection, said the police, adding that the girl also changed her name to Samir Shaikh and started doing odd jobs.

After hearing her story, the police reunited the girl with her family on Monday.

The girl stayed in Mumbai till she was 10 years old, after which her family shifted to Hadapsar, Pune. She said she did not like Pune and left home to work in Mumbai. She only had ₹1,000 as her savings after doing odd jobs with her parents. Her father works as a plumber while her mother does odd jobs.

According to the police, the girl first went to Dadar by train and looked for a job. She did not find any job and went to Bhiwandi.

Senior inspector Sheetal Raut of Shanti Nagar police station said, “After wandering for days, she landed in Bhiwandi and met a group of homeless people who suggested that she change her attire and live as a boy so that nobody takes advantage of her. She also changed her name and started living on streets. Few social workers and residents realised the person is new in the area and offered help, but she refused to speak to anyone.”

Some of them informed the patrolling officer about it, who took the teen for questioning to the police station.

Raut said, “During questioning, we came to know that she is a girl, though she refused to give any more details to us apart from some basic information. Our officers contacted Pune Police and found her name in the missing complaints and made a video call to her mother. She broke down while talking to her mother and agreed to go home.”

The officers got the girl new clothes and took her to her house.