Vashi GRP cop brings missing Deaf boy home

NAVI MUMBAI: After seven hours of continuous search, a constable attached to Vashi GRP, Dilip Rathod, managed to reunite a nine-year-old hearing and speech impaired boy with his parents in a Koparkhairane village.

Chandan Vinaykumar Srivastav was found loitering on a platform at Sanpada station by two commuters, on April 26. They handed him over to the constable Rathod, who was on duty.

The constable accompanied the minor to search for his house. Although Rathod could not follow the boy's sign language, he followed his leads. Travelling back forth from Vashi, Nerul, Kurla, Vashi gaon and finally, to a village in Koparkhairane by train, bus and auto. Rathod was able to locate his home.

Rathod said, "After several stops, we reached Kurla, and I sought help from a man who could understand the boy. He found out that the boy lived near a bridge. After a few wrong stops, he finally recognized the NMMT bus route to his place," said Rathod.

The boy's father claimed that he had suddenly disappeared on Sunday evening while he was playing with friends in the neighbourhood.