Lost and found: Toddler went missing from India Gate, found in Janakpuri

New Delhi, Oct 5: The three-year-old girl who had gone missing under mysterious circumstances last Sunday evening from India Gate was found here today in West Delhi's Janakpuri area under equally dramatic sequence of events.

According to police, the girl, identified as Jahnvi, was found alone in Lajvanti Garden sabji mandi area by locals around 8 PM. There was a placard hanging from her neck which said," My name is Jahnvi, I had gone missing from India Gate." The placard also had her father's name and phone number.

The girl was found by locals who then called her father and also made a PCR call following which a police team rushed to the spot and rescued her. "Yes, the girl has been found around 8 PM from Janakpuri. She was left there by someone with a placard hanging from her neck. We are still verifying things and it is too premature to say anything right now," said Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) SBS Tyagi.

Initial investigation has indicated that those who had kept her captive since the past one week decided to release her under relentless pressure from police and media hype. Whether she was kidnapped or not and where she has been all these days will be clear only by tomorrow, police said. Earlier today, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for anybody who could have helped to trace her.

The girl along with her parents and other relatives had reached India Gate on last Sunday evening from where she had gone missing. Victim's family had expressed apprehension that the girl was kidnapped. Police has registered an FIR at Tilak Marg police station and several teams, including those from the Crime Branch and Special Cell were working on the case. Photos of the three-year-old girl, requesting help from people to trace her had gone viral on social networking websites.

A protest was also held by family and relatives of the girl last night in this connection at India Gate which was later shifted to Jantar Mantar by the police.

PTI