Panchkula/Purnia: A sub-inspector of the Haryana Police has reunited a Bihar-born teenager with her family a decade after she went missing from Sonipat at the age of seven. The girl, who had been living in child care institutions in Punjab for nearly 10 years, was finally handed over to her mother after due legal process before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
The minor, identified as Roopa, had disappeared in 2015 while playing outside her residence near Kundli in Sonipat district. Her father’s relentless search for her ended in tragedy, as he reportedly passed away after years of distress and illness following her disappearance. Now 17, Roopa was recently shifted to a women’s shelter in Jalandhar before her reunion with her family.
How Roopa Went Missing
Roopa’s mother, Shanti, said the family had migrated from Purnia in Bihar to Delhi in 2015. Her husband, Lalit Ram, moved the family to live near Kundli in Sonipat. The couple had two sons and a daughter, Roopa, who was seven at the time.
One day, while playing outside, Roopa suddenly went missing. The family searched frantically with the help of relatives and locals. They later suspected she had been kidnapped. A complaint was lodged at the local police station, and an FIR was registered on May 17, 2015.
Her mother said the shock of losing his daughter deeply affected Lalit Ram. For years, he continued searching for her around Kundli and in crowded areas on holidays. His health deteriorated over time, and he died about two years ago.
Reached Punjab After Disappearance
After going missing from Sonipat, Roopa was found nearly a year later, on May 1, 2016, in an abandoned condition at Sirhind railway station in Punjab. At the time, the seven-year-old was unable to recall where she had been during the intervening period.
The District Child Welfare Society sent her to a child care home in Patiala, where she stayed for almost 10 years and continued her education. On February 13 this year, after turning 17, she was shifted to Gandhi Vanita Ashram in Jalandhar.
Haryana SI Took Up the Case
The breakthrough came when Sub-Inspector Rajesh Kumar of the Haryana Police’s State Crime Branch, posted with the Anti Human Trafficking Cell in Panchkula, took interest in the case.
Rajesh Kumar said he had earlier helped reunite a missing child from Ludhiana with his family after tracing him to Fatehgarh Sahib. During that visit, a child protection officer in Fatehgarh Sahib informed him about a 17-year-old girl who wished to find her family but had very little information about them.
He visited the child care home in Patiala and counselled Roopa. She could recall only the names of her mother, father and two brothers. She repeatedly mentioned “Purnia” as her home and said there was a tree near her house.
Tracing the Family Through Social Media
Rajesh Kumar, who runs a social media page titled “Mission Missing Person”, uploaded a video of the girl on February 11, seeking public help in identifying her family. On February 16, he received a call around 11 pm from a man in Bihar claiming that the girl in the video resembled his aunt’s daughter.
The officer obtained Roopa’s mother’s contact number and spoke to her. During the conversation, he cross-checked details that the girl had shared earlier. Shanti gave the same names of family members as Roopa had mentioned. She also revealed that her daughter used to stammer — a detail that matched Roopa’s speech pattern. This strengthened the officer’s confidence that he had located the right family.
Verification and Legal Formalities
Rajesh Kumar asked the family to come to Panchkula with relevant documents. He also retrieved the original missing FIR and matched it with the available records. After initial verification, he took the family to Fatehgarh Sahib and informed the Child Welfare Committee.
Roopa was brought from Jalandhar to appear before the CWC. In the presence of officials, both the girl and her family identified each other. In a moving moment, Roopa recognised her mother among four women and ran into her arms. After completing all legal formalities, the CWC handed her over to her family.
SI Rajesh Kumar said identification is often the most challenging part of such cases. “We first question the child about family details and then ask the same questions to the family. We verify Aadhaar cards, certificates and any available documents. If doubts remain, we conduct DNA tests,” he said.
Over 950 Children Reunited
Posted in Panchkula with the Anti Human Trafficking Cell of the Haryana Police’s State Crime Branch, Rajesh Kumar said he goes beyond his regular duties to help trace missing children across the country. So far, he has reunited more than 950 missing children with their families.
Roopa’s reunion brings closure to a 10-year-old missing child case that began in Sonipat and ended with an emotional homecoming for a family in Bihar.
