When his two younger brothers Raju and Ravi went missing, Ganesh suspected that they had been lured by the city of glamour: Mumbai. The three brothers lived together in Reva, a small hamlet in Bhopal. Anxious and deeply agitated, Ganesh called Childline, a twenty-four by seven, national toll-free helpline for children in crisis at Reva. Since the children were supposed to be headed to Mumbai, the case was transferred to CCDT Childline.

Although the case was beyond CCDT Childline’s coverage area, its Childline team immediately set upon a thorough operation to track the missing children. From Ganesh, the team discovered that both the brothers had mobile phones. The team located the exact position of the mobile network with the help of the police. At the same time, a missing complaint was lodged and pictures of Raju and Ravi were circulated. The team stayed in touch with Ganesh – informing him of any new developments, assuring him of their support.

The case received breakthrough when the mobile network was traced to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The boys had boarded the wrong train. The Bhopal police were contacted, and the children were found in Bhopal’s Katani Garden. Ganesh was immediately informed. The children were put into safe custody until he arrived.

Every year thousands of children go missing due to various reasons. The city of Mumbai is a receptacle of many children who run away from their homes due to poverty and violence. Sometimes just the fascination for Bollywood glitz attracts gullible young minds. Possibilities of abuse and exploitation follow. CCDT works with Childline to protect and rehabilitate children in crisis.