Pune: A 7-year-old boy and his 5-year-old sister, who went missing from Bhosari on Wednesday (March 26) morning, were safely reunited with their parents after a 12-hour search operation.
The siblings, who unknowingly boarded a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC / ST) bus instead of a city bus, were found asleep in the vehicle at night. The alertness of the bus conductor and driver led to their safe rescue.
The children, residents of Shantinagar, Bhosari, had left home in the morning but did not return by noon, causing panic among their family. A frantic search ensued, and by 9 PM, the worried parents reported their disappearance to Bhosari Police Station.
Senior Inspector Sandeep Ghorpade, Sub-Inspector I.R. Shaikh, and police personnel Dnyaneshwar Salve and Sagar Kadlak reassured the parents while initiating a missing persons report.
Meanwhile, the siblings were discovered asleep on the back seat of a Pune-Bhimashankar ST bus (MH 07 C 7379). Bus conductor Ramdas Vijay More and driver Sandeep Manoj Sonawane noticed the unattended children and attempted to communicate with them, asking for details about their guardian or destination. However, the frightened children remained unresponsive.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the transport staff promptly informed the Manchar Depot’s Traffic Inspector Sadhana Kalekar and Traffic Controller Mohammad Sayyed.
Following instructions from authorities, the children were taken to Ghodegaon Police Station at 9 PM, where Assistant Police Inspector Kiran Bhalekar conducted an inquiry. The investigation confirmed that the siblings had mistakenly boarded the ST bus in Bhosari and unintentionally traveled a long distance.
Upon receiving confirmation that their children were safe, the parents rushed to Manchar Police Station at midnight, where the children were officially handed over to them in the presence of bus staff and police officials. It is believed that the children accidentally boarded the ST bus instead of a PMPML city bus, leading them far from home.
