Mumbai: Traffic cops woo wandering teen with food, bike rides

The boy with his family and Constable Sharad Kulal (right) who saved his life

Two constables attached to Bandra traffic chowkie rescued a teenage boy who had run away from his home in Beed after a minor disagreement with his aunt and reached Mumbai last week. The boy was reunited with his family on Monday and they returned to their village. The 16-year-old had boarded a Mumbai-bound train from Beed on October 20 and got down at Panvel. From there, he walked to Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL). Cops told mid-day that the teen was visibly tired and hungry.

Traffic Constables Nilesh Kadam and Sharad Kulal spotted the teen on October 22 sitting near the toll plaza on BWSL around 11 am. When they asked him where he wanted to go, he did not reply. "There was something unusual going on in his mind. We found him upset; we feared that he might end his life or get involved in crime, so we took the boy to our Bandra traffic chowkie and offered him water and food. He was very hungry," a traffic police officer told mid-day.

When the cops asked about his family background, he did not reveal much. "He told us that his parents passed away when he was a child, that his elder sister is married and that he lives in a rented house somewhere in Beed, and works in a local eatery which is run by his aunt," added the officer.

Winning the trust

The police tried to retrieve his relatives' contact number but ‘he was not willing to share anything,' said another traffic policeman. The in-charge of Bandra traffic chowkie Vishal Khaire was apprised of the situation and he, too, tried to extract his family's details, but the teen was adamant. The police then decided to not pressure the teen further and kept him at the chowkie and treated him to sumptuous meals. A few others brought him new clothes and shoes so he didn't leave.

To win his confidence, the police promised the teen that they would get him a contractual job in the city. "We did this only to win the trust boy's trust as he was depressed and very upset. It was important for us to know his family's contact number so that we could reunite them. We kept him at the traffic chowkie for three days," said a senior officer. The cops also took him for rides on their bikes to cheer him up.

Teen opens up

On October 24, the boy finally shared his cousin's contact number. The police immediately contacted him in Majalgaon taluka of Beed district. "The family was scared to come to Mumbai as they thought they would be arrested. We assured them that no such thing would happen. They reached Mumbai on October 25 and the boy was reunited with his extended family members. They have reached Beed," said another officer attached to Bandra traffic chowkie. The cops also aided the family with Rs 5,000 to cover the travel cost.

Oct 22
Day police spotted the teen near Bandra Worli Sea Link