Mumbai: TV actress Kenisha Bharadwaj reunites with stolen Persian cat

Kenisha Bharadwaj is reunited with Karis; also seen is API Ajay Kamble of Bandra police station

It was a meowmorable day for actress Kenisha Bharadwaj on Saturday evening, for she was then reunited with her stolen Persian cat. And it was a heart-wrenching moment for the seven-year-old boy who had found it and kept it with him for the past few days, to let it go. But Bharadwaj made the perfect offer to get her beloved pet back - she promised to gift the boy a cat of the same breed! One that he didn't refuse.

The cat, Karis, had been stolen from Bandra Bandstand when it was in a cage in a rickshaw on July 6 and Bharadwaj had stepped out for a while. The auto driver too had walked away for a few moments. The police have found that another auto driver stole it and are looking for him.

Also read: Mumbai: TV actress' Persian cat goes missing from Bandstand

Cat-astrophe

Speaking to mid-day API Ajay Kamble of Bandra police station said, "The cat was stolen on July 6 and we suspect that the accused took her to his home. He probably tried to sell the cat but unable to do so, he threw her into a dustbin near the Lucky Hotel at Bandra West. For almost 10 days the cat was in and around the dustbin and ate whatever it found."

Toufiq Shabbir Ali found the cat and took her home

"After almost 10 days, the 7-year-old boy, Taufiq Shabbir Ali found this cat outside the dustbin and took her home. But the cat fell sick and Taufiq's parents took her to a pet clinic at Bandra West," API Kamble further said.

As the police had circulated the photos of the cat to all animal clinics, hospitals and NGOs, etc. the veterinarian at the clinic called them. The police went to the clinic and made a video call to Bharadwaj who identified it as Karis. The police then called her, Toufiq and his parents to the police station.

Karis-ma

Bharadwaj was very happy to see Karis who has been gifted to her by a friend. "She was in the hands of a 7-year-old boy and he was not ready to return her as he was quite attached to Karis. He had even named her Sweety. I promised Toufiq that I would gift him another cat of the same breed and made him understand that this was my cat which was stolen. It was only after this that he was ready to give my cat back. Toufiq also told me to take care of my cat and not to leave her anywhere."

Toufiq's mother Shabnam Shabbir Ali said, "When Toufiq brought the cat home we saw it was different and kept her. But then she fell sick. Toufiq was very attached to her. When we found that the cat was stolen, we decided to return it to her owner."
API Kamble said, "Finally the cat was reunited with the owner. We are in search of the auto driver who stole the cat with the cage at Bandra. We have found some clues and will arrest him soon."