Maharashtra: Three children who lost way reunited with families in Palghar

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Three minor boys from Maharashtra's Palghar district who lost their way after venturing out of their homes in the excitement of going to see a train have been traced and reunited with their parents, police told news agency PTI on Sunday.

The boys, including two siblings aged 6 and 7 and another five-year-old from their neighbourhood, left their homes in Boisar area in Palghar on Friday.

At around 6.30 pm, a farmer at Asangaon village in Vangaon area, located about 15 km from Boisar, spotted the three children crying on a street and immediately alerted Vangaon police station, inspector Sandeep Kahale told PTI.

The children, who had also walked on the railway tracks and appeared tired, were brought to the police station and provided food, he said.

When the police enquired with them, the boys informed they were from Ganesh Nagar locality in Mumbai, he said.

The police, who suspected the boys were from a locality with the same name in Boisar area of Palghar, posted pictures of the three minors in a WhatsApp group created for community policing, the official said.

An alert citizen from Boisar who saw the WhatsApp message contacted the Vangaon police and also coordinated with parents of the three children.

With the citizen's help, the police contacted the parents of the boys and handed over the children to them on Saturday, the official said.

During enquiry, the police found that when their parents went out for work, the children hit upon the idea of going to see a train and left the house, he said.

After seeing trains at Boisar railway station, they lost their way on return and reached Asangaon where the farmer spotted them, the official told PTI.

The parents thanked the police for tracing their children.

Superintendent of Police, Palghar rural, Balasaheb Patil told PTI that this was yet another success story of the district police's 'Janasamwad Abhiyan' (mass contact campaign) underway for more than a year.

He appreciated the involvement of villagers in the community policing initiative.

Patil also asked parents to ensure the safety and security of their children while going out for work.

(With inputs from PTI)