MP: 5-year-old girl goes missing from home in Bhopal, police begin search

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 25 (ANI): In a shocking incident, a five-year-old girl went missing from her home in the Shahjahanabad locality of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday afternoon, a police officer said on Wednesday.

The child’s parents were not at home when she disappeared. She was with her grandmother and told her she was going to retrieve a book from a friend’s house but did not return.

The girl’s mother told ANI, “At around 12 pm on Tuesday, my daughter told her grandmother she was going to collect a book from her friend’s house and would be back shortly. Since then, she hasn’t returned. When my husband and I arrived home and realised she was missing, we immediately began searching the surrounding areas but found no trace of her.”

“Over 24 hours have passed, yet no action has been taken by the authorities. Municipal corporation vehicles had arrived for fogging in the area, and during this time, she went missing. All I want is my daughter back as soon as possible,” she added.

Shahjahanabad police station in-charge, UPS Chauhan, told ANI, “Yesterday, the parents of the child came to Shahjahanabad police station, reporting their daughter had gone missing. They said their five-year-old daughter had gone to an Anganwadi Centre and returned home. She then stepped out again to collect a book from downstairs but didn’t return. During this time, a vehicle from the Municipal Corporation’s malaria team also arrived for fogging, and after completing their task, the vehicle left.”

“Acting on the complaint and recognising the seriousness of the situation, we alerted officials at other police stations. CCTV footage from nearby locations showed the child returning home and then leaving again to collect the book, after which she went missing,” he said.

Based on the parents’ statements, an FIR has been registered, and efforts are underway to locate the girl. The police have also questioned the fogging team and inspected their vehicle. A forensic examination of the vehicle has been conducted, but no evidence has been found so far, Chauhan said.

Efforts to find the child are continuing, he added.