'Forced' into collecting garbage, missing 11-year-old boy rescued from Delhi's Shakurpur

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) An 11-year-old boy, who had been missing for nearly a month, was rescued from Delhi's Shakurpur after a woman allegedly lured him with ‘prasad’ and forced him into collecting garbage while subjecting him to physical abuse and starvation, police said on Saturday.

Police registered a case of kidnapping and launched a search after the parents of the boy – both daily wagers – reported the matter at Subhash Place police station on October 5, a day after his disappearance.

The investigators followed a lead provided by the boy’s mother, who received a brief phone call from an unknown number after her son had gone missing.

“She heard a child's voice saying 'mummy' before the call got disconnected. Attempts to reach the number later failed,” a police officer said.

Acting on the lead, police conducted local inquiries, analysed technical data, and examined the residents of the area before shortlisting a few suspects, the officer said.

Police traced the boy to Shakurpur on the basis of technical surveillance and field verification, from where he was rescued safely, the officer said.

The boy told police that a woman who lived in Shakurpur lured him by offering ‘prasad’ and later forced him into collecting garbage. The accused allegedly subjected him to physical abuse and starvation, the officer said.

The boy also said that he once managed to call his mother but the woman snatched the phone moments later.

Efforts are being made to trace and arrest the woman, whose details have been shared with local police, the officer said. PTI SSJ SMV ARI