Search on for abducted children of Nangloi

Alleged kidnapper on the run. One kid recovered, four others still missing

Search on for abducted children of Nangloi

Alleged kidnapper on the run. One kid recovered, four others still missing

When eight-year-old Neha stepped out of her Nangloi home in west Delhi on June 26 for her one hour of playtime, neither her parents nor she had any inkling of the traumatic times ahead. Though she managed to escape the hands of the kidnappers after five days, had the cops acted swiftly her statement to Delhi police would have helped bust a potentially big child abduction racket by now.

Safe and sound: Eight-year-old Neha was kidnapped by her neighbour.
Pic/Imtiyaz Khan

The place where Neha was kidnapped and taken to had four other children - three girls and a boy - all abducted. However, due to the negligent behaviour of the Delhi police, the alleged kidnapper is on the run today. Now with a help of an NGO, a petition has been filed at Delhi's Tees Hazari Courts to form a police team and raid the house to free the rest of the children.

Sweet invitation
In a statement, Neha who was missing since June 22, said: "I was playing in front of my house when Kajal aunty (neighbour) came and said that she will give me lots of sweets and nice clothes. But I had to go with her. I followed the lady. Later she took me to some place by train. That lady kept me in a house where a few other children were also kept."

It was only after the family put pressure on Delhi police to interrogate Kajal, they reacted. "The cops didn't seem interested. Instead of alerting his team, the SHO tried to scare us away. We were sure of the kidnaper because Neha's younger sister was also playing with her. She informed us that Neha went with Kajal," Neha's mother Hushnara said. After much persuasion, they managed to register their complaint in the police's daily dairy. Also the police's apathy made the parents suspicious. "It seems that the police and the accused were hand-in-glove. They nabbed the suspect and let her go after mild interrogation," Hushnara alleged.

Scared that Kajal was still on the loose, this time the parents approached child welfare NGO, Nav Srishti. The group said they would mobilise public support and conduct dharnas if the police neglected the case any further. Mysteriously, soon after, on 28th June at 4 am, the girl was dropped home by a few strangers and Kajal went missing, making the parents and NGO more sure of the cop-criminal connect.

On the loose
Consequently, the parents and the NGO moved court. Reena Banerjee, Secretary, Nav Srishti, said, "Even though Neha is back, the culprit is on the loose, and the probable association between Kajal and cops raises a question on the safety of a hundred Nehas in the future.

Vivek Aggarwal, lawyer of the petitioner said: "We have filed a petition in the court for the formation of police team to raid the place where Neha was taken and free four other children kidnapped there. The family has been provided police protection by the court. Forming a police team would likely be decided in the next hearing on July 5."

Police's story
The police, though, insist they are clean, and say they will track down the abductor soon. "We have got some lead in the case and would be able to save the life of other children kidnapped and kept there soon," said a senior police official from the police station.