An Instagram post proved invaluable in tracing a 15-year-old boy from Santosh Nagar, Goregaon East, who had gone missing in September last year. The boy, who had travelled to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was recently brought back safely by the Dindoshi police.
Shamu was outside with his aunt in Goregaon East before he hitched a ride with a two-wheeler rider in September last year
The minor, Shyam ‘Shamu’ Gupta, had lost his parents during the COVID-19 pandemic and was living with his aunt in Mumbai. According to police, he was studying in Std VII but had started skipping school, which often led to scolding at home. “He used to leave with his school bag daily, but we later found he wasn’t attending classes,” said his cousin, Vikas Gupta.
Police said Shamu wandered in Mumbai for a few days before boarding a train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Kanpur. There, he joined a group of traders selling utensils at fairs and began travelling with them for work in exchange for food and shelter.
After roaming around the city, he caught a train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Kanpur
The breakthrough
Last month, a family member spotted Shamu in an Instagram reel. “My sister-in-law saw the reel a couple of weeks ago, and we immediately informed the police after seeing the video,” Gupta said. Acting on the clue, police traced his location to the Bhadohi Kotwali area and returned to his kin with the help of local police on March 15.
The family then registered a missing person complaint. The boy posted a reel a month ago, surprising his kin
Police team
When the reel came to light, a team was formed under the guidance and instructions of DCP Mahesh Chimte. Zone XII Senior Inspector Mahindra Shinde led the operation, with PSI R. Thange, PSI Ajit Desai, ASI Wagmare, and PC Bhushan Mahajan.
The boy with officers of the Dindoshi police station
Homesickness
During questioning, it was revealed that Shamu’s parents used to live in Kanpur, and the utensil sellers he was staying with also resides there. Since childhood, Shamu used to visit their home frequently. “After his parents’ demise, when his aunt brought him to Mumbai, he began missing his village. He was unable to focus on his studies and wanted to return to Kanpur,” a police officer said.
‘We’re happy he is back’
“We had stayed in Kanpur for nearly a month, but we had no idea that Shamu was there as well. If he had told us he was nearby, we would have been relieved. For the past few months, our family has been in deep distress. When my sister-in-law tried to contact him on Instagram, he never revealed his exact location, saying he was in Delhi and at other times elsewhere.
A screenshot of the 15-year-old boy’s Instagram account. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
He had logged into his Instagram account from a phone belonging to the trader’s family he was staying with and posted the reel,” said Gupta. After months of uncertainty, the family expressed relief at his return. “We are extremely happy to have him back. We just want him to focus on his studies and build his future,” Gupta added
March 15
Day teenager was reunited with his relatives
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