8 days on, Dhurwa siblings untraced; Ranchi police urge parents to stay alert

Ranchi: In the wake of the disappearance of two siblings from the city’s Dhurwa area, Ranchi police have now appealed to parents and guardians to exercise heightened vigilance to ensure the safety of their children and prevent similar incidents.

Police have advised guardians not to leave children unattended, particularly in public spaces such as markets, residential colonies and roadsides, where the risk of mishaps or abduction increases. The police have also asked parents to educate their children about basic safety measures, including avoiding interactions with strangers and informing their elders before stepping out of the home.

Ranchi’s Pithoria police station has already started sensitising residents on safety measures to prevent such incidents through public announcement systems, from Thursday.

Pithoria police station in-charge Satish Kumar said, “Police officials of the station have been moving in the areas under the station limits and trying to make people aware. In the market areas, we have announced safety measures through announcement systems.”

He added that people are encouraged to ensure that an adult family member accompanies children when they go to school or step out of their homes. “Parents have been advised to educate children not to accept chocolates or any other items from strangers, to prevent any incident like that happened in Dhurwa,” Kumar added.

A senior police official of Ranchi police appealed to residents to inform the nearest police stations at the earliest if they find their child missing for more than half an hour. “Without wasting time and trying to find the child on their own, people should immediately reach out to the police,” the official said.

He further said that in the Dhurwa incident, the family tried to look for the two siblings for over six hours before reporting it to the police. “That was the most crucial time. Had they informed the local police station, the two children could have been traced easily. In that six-hour duration, anything worse could have happened to them. If someone has kidnapped them, they have had enough time to move the siblings children to neighbouring states or elsewhere,” the official added.

Even after eight days, the two siblings — Ansh (5) and Anshika (4), who went missing on Friday last from a slum in Dhruwa’s Mausibadi area, remain untraced so far.

On the other hand, a massive police team of around 70-80 personnel, and forensic and dog squads have been pressed into service to search for the duo. Police teams have also moved to neighbouring states of Bihar and West Bengal to search for them.