06 November,2014 08:17 AM IST | | Chaitraly Deshmukh
The 15-year-old will be reunited with his family on November 10 in Delhi; the teenager promises he is reformed and will work hard to help his family and continue his education as well
Chakan police
Less than a day after mid-day reported that a 15-year-old boy from Pune was found alone and homeless in New Delhi, the Pune police tracked the teenager's family down in Chakan, and have made arrangements for the family to be reunited soon.
Yesterday, this newspaper had reported that the local police and an NGO in the capital city had found the boy, Prakash Bikka, at a railway station ten days ago (âMy father sent me to Delhi to earn my own living'). The boy revealed that his family was in Chakan, and his father had abandoned him, sending him away to Delhi to earn his own living.
Fake name
When the Chakan Police finally located his father, however, they realised that the boy had used a false name, and his family name was not Bikka, but Thapa. The father, Raju Thapa also revealed that Prakash had become arrogant and ill-mannered after he dropped out of school, after Std III, to help run the household.
He claimed that Prakash would shirk his responsibilities. Prakash was then sent to his uncle's house in Rajasthan, and he worked at a hotel there for a few days.
He soon left the job and returned home, however, after which there was an argument about finances between him and his father.
Copspeak
Inspector D B Patil of Chakan police station said, "On Tuesday, we had received information about the child, Prakash Bikka. We checked our entire missing persons and kidnappings record book but did not find any such name. Later, I sent my constable to look for the family, based on the description of his house, the area and the landlord given by Prakash to the New Delhi Police. We finally identified his father, Raju Thapa."
"To verify the details, we contacted the New Delhi Police, who confirmed that the boy had hidden his real name so that his parents would not be penalised. Prakash spoke to his father on the phone yesterday, and we have made arrangements for his parents to travel to Delhi and bring him back to Pune on November 10," he added.
Meanwhile, Prakash is thrilled at the prospect of returning home. "I am happy that I am finally going to meet my family and be with them. I will earn and help my family, and also study and gain education. After I had been deserted by my family, I realised that it is tough to survive without education," he told mid-day.
