By IANS,
New Delhi : Exactly a week ago six minors, including three girls, had left for their east Delhi school. None has returned home so far. The police, suspecting it to be a case of mass elopement, have registered two cases of kidnapping.
The teenaged students had left for their state-run school, Sarvodya Vidyalaya in Vishwas Nagar, Feb 10. They all live in the same New Sanjay Amar Colony behind Karkadooma court, and are in the age group of 14 to 17.
The police said the students told their parents that they were going to school and from there they would go on a picnic.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Delhi) Anand Mohan said they have registered two cases of kidnapping. The first case was registered at the Anand Vihar police station the day after the six went missing and the other at the Farsh Bazaar police station Tuesday.
“Our initial investigations suggest that four of them were in some relationship and have fled their homes together,” Mohan told IANS.
“Since all the children disappeared at the same time and from the same locality, we suspect that the other two are with the same group. Several police teams are working to trace them.”
The police have sent teams to neighbouring states to trace the teenagers.
“We are also probing role of a 19-year-old youth, who allegedly helped the minors flee their homes,” said a police official.
Billu Singh, father of one of the girls, said: “I don’t know if she has been kidnapped or not. But since Feb 10 she has not returned.”
Saroj, mother of another girl, said: “We informed police about it and they assured us that they will find our daughter. But a week has gone past, nothing has happened.”
According to the residents, over 20 children have gone missing from the area over the past seven-eight years.
“I have a list of about 20 children with me who have gone missing in the past few years. Not a single child has returned,” said Raj Kumar Dhina, who identified himself as a political worker.
“We have already approached the police, home ministry and the National Human Rights Commission. But nothing has happened so far. Children are disappearing every month. We want a thorough investigations into the matter,” added Dhina, also a real estate agent.
He said in December last year a 16-year-old boy – brother of one of the teenagers who went missing Feb 10 – disappeared from the colony. “A three-year-old boy also went missing in December. In the same month a 14-year-old boy also went missing from nearby Vishwas Nagar colony.”
The father of the 14-year-old said the boy was playing outside the house when he went missing.
“First we thought he is not coming back home due to fear of scolding from his mother. But so far we have no news of him. We approached the police but they are not helping us,” Prasad, who works in a printing press, alleged.