10-Month Ordeal Ends: Missing Lucknow Boy Found Safe in Delhi
For nearly ten months, every knock on the door, every unknown phone call, and every passing day carried a faint hope for Chhotu Shukla and his family. Their twelve-year-old son, Ajay, had vanished without a trace in August last year, leaving behind unanswered questions and a family trapped between hope and despair. That agonising wait finally ended this week when Ajay called his father from an unknown number and said the words the family had longed to hear: he was alive and in Delhi. Within hours, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Lucknow Police Commissionerate launched a rescue operation and traced the boy to a tent house in the Chandni Chowk area of New Delhi, bringing an emotional chapter to a close for the family.
The Disappearance and Investigation
Ajay had gone missing from his home in Lucknow's Gudamba area on August 1, 2024. A missing person case was registered, and after months of unsuccessful efforts, the investigation was transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. Police teams continued tracking leads through surveillance, technical analysis, interstate coordination, and human intelligence, refusing to let the case go cold. The breakthrough came on June 3 when Ajay contacted his father and revealed his location. Acting on the information, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit officers Anil Kumar Kushwaha and Gulab Singh rushed to Delhi and, after extensive local inquiries and technical tracking, located the boy safely.
The Reason Behind the Disappearance
What investigators discovered was not a case of trafficking or abduction, but the story of a child who had run away from home after a seemingly minor family disagreement. According to police, Ajay told investigators that he had left home after an argument with his sister over a television remote control. Hurt and upset, he walked away without telling anyone. The impulsive decision took him far from home, eventually leading him to Delhi, where he found work at a tent house and survived on his own. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the boy said he wanted to return but was afraid of facing his parents after disappearing. The fear of being scolded kept him away, even as his family desperately searched for him. For his parents, however, no reprimand could outweigh the relief of knowing their son was alive.
Recovery and Reunion
Police officials said the boy was found safe and healthy. Necessary legal and medical formalities are being completed, after which he will be formally reunited with his family through the Child Welfare Committee. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kiran Yadav said the successful recovery highlights the persistent efforts of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, which continues to trace missing children through a combination of digital tracking, surveillance, and human intelligence. But beyond the statistics and police work lies a family reunion: a father who never stopped waiting, a child who finally found the courage to call home, and a journey that began with a minor quarrel but ended with hope, relief, and the promise of a fresh start.
