Missing boy from Haryana found in video parlour in city

The family of an 11-year-old child, who had gone missing from Haryana around seven months ago, found him working in a video parlour in Mumbai. What should have come as relief to the family, however, turned into a business deal when the owner of the video parlour refused to part with the boy unless he was paid for taking care of the child. Little Yadav reports.

The family of an 11-year-old child, who had gone missing from Haryana around seven months ago, found him working in a video parlour in Mumbai. What should have come as relief to the family, however, turned into a business deal when the owner of the video parlour refused to part with the boy unless he was paid for taking care of the child.

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Adil Sultani, 11, had gone missing from Haryana in August last year. The family lodged a missing person’s complaint, but the Haryana police could not trace the child. In the second week of February, Adil’s brother, Amir, 21, received a call from his friend, Moor Murshid, from Nagpada, who said he had seen Adil. “Murshid said he had seen Adil in a video parlour. Amir left for Mumbai and reached on February 21,” said a police officer from Nagpada police station who did not wish to be named.

Amir then went to the Diamond video parlour and told the owner, Naseer alias Naseeruddin Mohamed Gaus Shaikh, that his brother was working at his parlour. Naseer, however, told Amir to pay him for Adil’s upkeep for the past six months if he wanted his brother back. “Naseer used to make Adil do the cleaning at the video parlour and gave him two meals a day in exchange. When Amir expressed outrage at the request, Naseer threatened him and told him to return only when he had the money,” said Vinayak Saude, senior police inspector of Nagpada police station.

On February 24, Amir informed the police, who arrested Naseer. “Adil has been sent to the Dongri Children’s Home. He will soon be returned to his family,” Saude said. Police suspect Adil may have been kidnapped.