Runaway teens reach Mumbai from Shimla to meet their idol, Salman Khan. Instead of the actor, who wasn't at home, the boys meet two more heroes in a city overrun by villains
Here's a story that will restore your faith in this city.
Here's a story that will restore your faith in this city.
Two star-struck teens from Shimla hit Mumbai to meet their hero, Salman Khan. Like so many other stories, this one too could have ended up in tragedy, but for two unusual people the boys ran into a passenger on the train to Mumbai and a cop.
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| Thank you: The two boys from Shimla (faces blurred, as they are minors), with Rishu Jarat (hiding his face), who helped the boys, flanked by the Bhoiwada cops |
There are few heroes who inspire as much love and craze as Salman Khan. Ask Rahul Kanojia (16) and Dinesh Gupta (14). The two teenagers from Shimla ran away from home and boarded a train to Mumbai only to meet their idol. Fortunately, the police managed to trace them before the minors fell in the wrong hands, thanks to a Good Samaritan.
In their police statement, the boys said that on Sunday, they took a bus from Shimla to Ambala, from where they bought tickets and boarded the Golden Temple Express to Mumbai. They had Rs 15,000 with them, which Dinesh had taken from his uncle's pocket, along with two debit cards.
In the train, they met one Rishu Jarat of Ludhiana, who took them to a relative's saloon in Parel when they arrived at Dadar station on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, their worried parents had registered a missing complaint at a Shimla police station. While Rahul is in Std IX at Shimla Model School, Dinesh studies in Std VII at Ahuja Education Centre.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Anand Kumar Dhiman told MiD DAY, "On Wednesday, the boys contacted their parents from an unknown mobile number saying they were at Delhi railway station and that they were safe. The boys also made their parents speak to a stranger who identified himself as Rishu Jarat. However, the mobile tower showed the location of the mobile phone somewhere in Maharashtra. Rishu had also provided a landline number to their parents, which was traced to a saloon in Parel."
Abduction
At first Dhiman thought it was a case of abduction. He contacted the Mumbai Zonal DCP Sanjay Bhaviskar, who directed the Bhoiwada police station to trace the boys, who were found at the same saloon. "The timely act of the young boy Rishu has prevented the boys from falling into the wrong hands," said Bhaviskar.
When the boys told Bhaviskar about their desire to meet Salman, he was moved. So, yesterday, the cops took the boys to Galaxy Apartments on Bandstand, Bandra, where Salman lives. Unfortunately, the actor was not at home, but the cops took them to Bandra Fort and St Andrews High School, where an ad shoot was on. "Even though they couldn't meet Salman, the kids were happy that they got a chance to see the shooting," said senior PI Prakash George of Bandra police station.
The excited young boys told MiD DAY, "We enjoyed the film shoot and are happy we came to Mumbai. We promise not to run away from home again." The boys are currently with Bhoiwada police and will be handed over to their parents who are expected to reach Mumbai today. While Dinesh's father is an agent in a vegetable market, Rahul's father runs a garment shop.
In their police statement, the boys said that on Sunday, they took a bus from Shimla to Ambala, from where they bought tickets and boarded the Golden Temple Express to Mumbai. They had Rs 15,000 with them, which Dinesh had taken from his uncle's pocket, along with two debit cards.
In the train, they met one Rishu Jarat of Ludhiana, who took them to a relative's saloon in Parel when they arrived at Dadar station on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, their worried parents had registered a missing complaint at a Shimla police station. While Rahul is in Std IX at Shimla Model School, Dinesh studies in Std VII at Ahuja Education Centre.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Anand Kumar Dhiman told MiD DAY, "On Wednesday, the boys contacted their parents from an unknown mobile number saying they were at Delhi railway station and that they were safe. The boys also made their parents speak to a stranger who identified himself as Rishu Jarat. However, the mobile tower showed the location of the mobile phone somewhere in Maharashtra. Rishu had also provided a landline number to their parents, which was traced to a saloon in Parel."
Abduction
At first Dhiman thought it was a case of abduction. He contacted the Mumbai Zonal DCP Sanjay Bhaviskar, who directed the Bhoiwada police station to trace the boys, who were found at the same saloon. "The timely act of the young boy Rishu has prevented the boys from falling into the wrong hands," said Bhaviskar.
When the boys told Bhaviskar about their desire to meet Salman, he was moved. So, yesterday, the cops took the boys to Galaxy Apartments on Bandstand, Bandra, where Salman lives. Unfortunately, the actor was not at home, but the cops took them to Bandra Fort and St Andrews High School, where an ad shoot was on. "Even though they couldn't meet Salman, the kids were happy that they got a chance to see the shooting," said senior PI Prakash George of Bandra police station.
The excited young boys told MiD DAY, "We enjoyed the film shoot and are happy we came to Mumbai. We promise not to run away from home again." The boys are currently with Bhoiwada police and will be handed over to their parents who are expected to reach Mumbai today. While Dinesh's father is an agent in a vegetable market, Rahul's father runs a garment shop.
(Names of the minors have been changed to protect their identities)
