New Delhi/Ganjam: A 16-year-old girl who went missing from her home in west Delhi’s Inderpuri earlier this month after becoming emotionally attached to a 32-year-old woman who had allegedly experienced domestic violence was traced to Odisha along with the woman, police said Thursday.
The girl accompanied the woman, Pooja, to her parental home in Odisha’s Ganjam district, according to the police. The minor had gone missing from her house around 10 am September 16, following which her father approached the Inderpuri police station and an FIR was registered.
During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the area and found the girl leaving her home carrying a bag and boarding a three-wheeler, officials said. The three-wheeler driver was questioned and told police that he had dropped the girl at Patel Nagar Metro Station, they said.
Technical surveillance subsequently revealed that the girl had been in contact with a mobile number registered in the name of Pooja, 32, who used to live in the same locality as the minor, according to police. Further inquiry revealed that Pooja was also missing from her residence and her mobile phone was switched off, they said.
Police tracked the handset and found that it had moved from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha, with its location eventually traced to Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district, officials said. The location inputs were shared with the Ganjam police September 26 for necessary action, they said. On September 27, the girl’s parents attended a Jan Sun wai at Inderpuri police station, where their grievance was heard by Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Hareshwar V Swami.
The DCP subsequently contacted senior police officers in Odisha and coordinated with the Ganjam police for the girl’s early tracing, officials said. A team of Delhi Police also travelled to Odisha and coordinated with the local police, they said.
The minor and Pooja were traced from Bhanjanagar September 29. During further inquiry, the girl told police that Pooja had experienced domestic violence and that she had become emotionally attached to her. The girl said she accompanied Pooja to her parental home in Odisha, police said.