“Operation Muskaan'- a flagship initiative launched by the government has truly brought smiles on faces of hundreds of children who were either kidnapped or had gone missing. As part of a month-long drive launched by the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police in the tenth phase of the operation, 53 missing children including- 16 boys and 37 girls have been reunited with their parents till 30, June.
As per the date provided by the police, shows that of the 53 missing children who were reunited with their families, the parents or kin of 43 children had reported the matter at the concerned police stations in the twin-cities of Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar. “Ten children, for whom no missing complaint was filed, were also traced and reunited with their parents. Apart from this we managed to trace 294 women.
Tracing missing or kidnapped children continues to be our priority for the entire year, but during operations the activities are intensified.” said Senior Police Inspector- Sampatrao Patil of the Anti-Human Trafficking Wing (AHTW) which headed the operation under the guidance of DCP (crime)- Dr. Mahesh Patil. Three police personnel including an official from each police station assisted the AHTW in the operation.
Some minors were found to be begging while others were working at local establishments.Apart from intensified vigilance, police personnel fanned across the region to check small children at places including railway stations, bus depots, market places, religious places, juvenile shelter homes and even those found begging to ascertain whether they have drifted away from their kin. The teams also took help of web portals which facilitate tracking of lost children.
