Scolded, Chennai girl runs away, found in Mumbai bus

MUMBAI: A Class 10 girl ran away from Chennai and came to Mumbai, because she was upset for being scolded over her studies, on Friday. She was tracked down within an hour from Juhu Tara Road after she switched on her mobile phone while she was on the Mumbai Darshan bus.Police teams from Mumbai, Wardha, and Chennai located the 16-year-old girl when she alighted from the bus at its last destination around 7pm.The girl alighted from a long-distance train at CSMT on Friday morning, and after touring South Mumbai she reached Mahalaxmi Temple. She was not planning to return home, said a police officer.Juhu police reunited the girl with her mother, a yoga teacher in Chennai, who took a flight to Mumbai and returned home after applauding the cops’ efforts from Chennai, Wardha and Mumbai, for showing team effort that helped in tracking her daughter.The minor fled on Thursday without informing her mother. The mother approached Chennai police. Police, after tracking the last location of the minor, reported the details to a senior IPS officer there.The officer got in touch with Wardha crime branch inspector Sanjay Gaikwad, who contacted his batchmate, inspector Vijay Jadhav, DCP (operations), Mumbai for assistance. The message was relayed to Tardeo police inspector Rajendra Godse, who found that the girl was last located at Mahalaxmi and immediately relayed the details to his batchmate inspector Dattatray Masvekar at Juhu police station.Masvekar, on night duty, informed DCP Anil Paraskar who was in touch with other police officials to locate the minor.“We got the bus driver’s mobile number, and he told me the bus had crossed Haji Ali and would reach Juhu Tara Road after sightseeing at an actor’s bungalow and other important places in the western suburbs. Constables Salunkhe and Smita More were sent to the bus stop point. The two were provided the bus driver’s contact number and the minor’s picture and located her when she alighted,” said Masvekar.Her mother arrived in Mumbai on Friday night and returned on the same night with her daughter. “The mother said she informed Chennai cops that she suspects that her daughter may travel to Mumbai, as she said she wanted to visit Mahalaxmi temple. Though the girl had some money,” said the officer.