13 July,2011 07:18 AM IST | | Shailesh Bhatia
After she was found under mysterious circumstances on a Santacruz pavement, cops tracked down and reunited her with her impoverished family
Yesterday, MiD DAY reported on the ten-year-old Purnima, who had been found lying in a semi-conscious state near the Juhu aerodrome.
Grandmother Parvati Tate combs Purnima's hair at her Chembur home
Mentally challenged, this disheveled girl, clad in soiled clothes and in a state of heightened emotional unrest, had no recollection of the circumstances that transpired to lead her to such a pitiable condition. She could not give her last name, leave alone her exact address.
When she was deposited under the care of the officer on duty at the Santacruz police station, PSI Bhaskar Pawar, the cops got cracking on the case immediately. Their investigations have revealed the tragic history that lies behind the girl's mysterious discovery on Monday afternoon.
Based on Purnima's disclosure that she was a resident of Vashi, the cops tracked down her residence at a MHADA colony in the Chembur-Vashi Naka, and reunited her with her grandmother and mother, late on Monday evening.
Purnima's seventy-year-old grandmother Parvati Tate, could barely hold back her tears after being reunited with her granddaughter. But even while she rejoiced, one could tell that her joy was bittersweet.
She revealed that she was quite sure that the incident would repeat itself soon. Claiming that the child's state of mind made it difficult for her to forestall the recurrence of such a situation, Tate said, "This is the third time in the recent past that Purnima has run away from the house.
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My son Dadarao was the sole bread earner of his family, but he passed away 20 years ago. The responsibility of looking after Purnima, and her younger sibling has fallen on the frail shoulders of my daughter-in-law Shobha.
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To make ends meet, she had to resort to working as a domestic help. While she is away, I have to look after them," lamented Parvati.
She added keeping track of the mentally challenged Purnima, on medication for her condition, entails too much physical exertion at her age. She said "Vaishali threw a tantrum for some chocolate, and I had to step out of the house to get it for her. The next thing we know, she had gone missing.
We tried to locate her in the adjoining areas like Mulund and Sion, but after a while realised it was a futile exercise."
PSI Pawar, who was instrumental in reuniting the family, said that it had required considerable effort locating the girl's residence based on her vague ramblings.
Meanwhile, Purnima seemed oblivious of the fiasco surrounding her sudden discovery.
"It took a degree of patience and perseverance to locate the house. Luckily, once we reached the neighbourhood, a local recognised Purnima and pointed out her residence to the constable who was accompanying her. The family really needs some help, to prevent such incidents from recurring," Pawar added.
