By IANS,
New Delhi : Four minor school girls were allegedly abducted after they had attended their school in east Delhi, police said Friday.
Shweta, 13, Anjali, 14, Kajal, 13, and Bhavna, 14 are close friends and study in class 8 at the Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Mayur Vihar Phase I. They reside in Trilokpuri area of east Delhi.
“After attempting an exam at school Thursday, they did not return home. It cannot be ruled out that they have been kidnapped,” Deputy Commissioner of Police O.P. Mishra said.
A case of abduction under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code has been lodged.
“They used to commute to school together on a rickshaw,” police said.
“They went to school at around 1 a.m. but when they did not return till 5.30 p.m., we went to the school,” said Rakesh Sood, Bhavna’s father.
“School officials told us that my daughter along with her three friends had already left at 5 p.m.,” said Satish Kumar, Shweta’s father.
During the search, parents found that the girls had visited a restaurant in Pandav Nagar area after school.
“The restaurant staff told the girls’ parents that they had left the restaurant at 6.30 p.m.”
“They then left for New Delhi Railway Station,” said Mishra.
“They must have been kidnapped. They never came home late after school,” alleged Satish Kumar.
In recent times, there has been a spurt in cases of crime against women. According to government data, 65 girls went missing in the first 12 days of 2011. In 2010, there were 1,179 cases of missing girls.