TURA, Feb 3: A girl from Ampati in South West Garo Hills, aged between 19 and 20 years old, who had prima facie gone missing since January 19, was on Wednesday found by the members of Delhi Achik Association (DAA) in the national capital.
The girl, as per her admission, had fallen in love with a boy from Siliguri, West Bengal, who was residing in New Delhi.
The duo had reportedly met on Free Fire — a battle royale shooting game for smartphones — and apparently fallen in love, following which they decided to live together in New Delhi.
It was after this, the girl, who had never been out of Garo Hills, reached the national capital by a train sometime last month.
“A missing report was filed by her parents in Ampati on January 19 after she went missing from her house and could not be traced. However, the report was withdrawn after her parents were able to contact her over phone and assured them that she was fine,” said DAA president, BD Sangma, while speaking to The Shillong Times over phone from New Delhi.
Sangma said he is in a dilemma as to how she managed a train ticket to the national capital by herself.
The DAA was then contacted by a woman police personnel from SWGH in a bid to reunite the girl with her family members, who reportedly have been traumatised ever since she went “missing”.
“Her brother just wanted his sister back. We were able to trace the phone to Najafgarh and along with some more members of DAA (including a woman member), reached the house and tried convincing her to return home,” added Sangma.
The hurdle DAA was faced with was that the girl had consensually gone to the national capital to live with the boy and there had been no indication of any coercion being applied. Furthermore, even the boy wanted to keep her with him.
It was, however, after the intervention of the boy’s mother that things took a U-turn.
“We had to change tack and promised to get him married if they were willing to but he would need to come to Garo Hills and seek the blessings of the family and also live here. He was reluctant and even didn’t want to provide his ID. He and his mother later relented and allowed the girl to be taken from the house. We were apprehensive of trouble but thankfully the matter was resolved and we rescued her from the place,” said Sangma.
The missing girl is currently in the care of one of the female members of DAA and will be sent back to her parents with another returning woman from Garo Hills on February 5.
