MUMBAI: A 16-year-old Swedish girl who befriended a 19-year-old on social media and flew to Mumbai to live with him without her parents’ knowledge, was found in Cheeta Camp, Trombay, by the city crime branch and handed over to her parents on Friday.
Her father, who took her custody from Dongri’s Children Welfare Home, did not press any charges against the teenager, an engineering student. The girl’s parents have roots in India.
On December 4, a yellow notice was issued for the missing girl by Interpol through the nodal agency, CBI. A yellow notice is a global police alert for a missing person. It is published for victims of parental abductions, criminal abductions and unexplained disappearances.
Police said while going through her social media accounts, her parents suspected she could be in India. Police said the girl had befriended the boy on Instagram and after a prolonged friendship, took a month’s tourist visa without her parents’ knowledge.
Faces no charges
Having taken a month’s tourist visa without her parents’ knowledge, the 16-year-old Swedish girl landed in Mumbai from Sweden.
Upon arriving in Mumbai on November 27, she intended to live with the friend but his family did not let her stay with them, and put her up with a female cousin in a separate flat in Trombay itself, said an officer.
On November 27, the girl’s family lodged a missing person complaint with Swedish authorities who, in turn, took the help of Interpol.
The Interpol, through the CBI, then approached Mumbai police. Mumbai police then handed over the probe to the Interpol liaison office of the crime branch. Interpol, along with Crime Branch Unit 6, finally traced the girl. She was then sent to the Children’s Welfare Home in Dongri. Meanwhile, the Swedish embassy and the Delhi Interpol office were informed about the developments.
“The Crime Branch Unit 6 was asked to trace the victim who was suspected to be in Trombay. With technical help, we traced the girl and handed her over to her family through the CBI,” said Neelotpal, deputy commissioner of police (Detection 1).
Police said the girl’s father first landed in Delhi and from there he came to Mumbai and took custody of his daughter, and on Friday the two flew back to Sweden.
The father said he did not want to file any complaint against the teenage boy as he was not at fault.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/swedish-teen-who-fled-to-mumbai-for-boyfriend-sent-back/articleshow/88232768.cms
