Maha cops reunite missing Nepalese teen with family

A 14-year-old Nepalese boy was reunited in Maharashtra's Raigad district with his family as part of the police's Operation Muskaan initiative, an official said Sunday.

The boy, identified as Siraj Mumtaj Ali Shaikh, a resident of Sinamangal in Kathmandu, had left that country on January 1 and had landed in Maharashtra and was spotted on Friday by railway police at Roha station, over 120 kilometres from here, the official said.

The teen told police his name and address and a mobile number belonging to his uncle, Maulana Haroon Shaikh, was also found in his luggage, he said.

On being contacted, Shaikh told police about Siraj's disappearance from Tuesday and added that the teen's elder brother Sarfaraz, who was staying in Satara, would come here to take him back.

The siblings were united on Saturday following which the runaway teen left for his native country, the official informed.

Operation Muskaan is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to rescue and rehabilitate missing children.

Under the project, the Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force are required to provide care and protection to children found in trains and railway premises.