Delhi Police rescue four abandoned children who resorted to begging in South Delhi

The Delhi Police have rescued and reunited four young cousins, including three sisters, who were abandoned following a family dispute in Bhati Mines, South Delhi, and forced to survive by begging. The rescue operation began after the children's mother filed a police complaint on June 28, prompting a search across several South Delhi localities including Chhatarpur and Safdarjung Hospital.

The crisis began when the girls’ mother left her home in Bhati Mines following an argument with her husband. Approximately 15 days later, the father also left the household, leaving his three daughters, who are aged between 11 and 16, in the care of their aunt.

With little food and almost no supervision, the three sisters and their 11-year-old cousin left the house to search for food. The group eventually split up. Two of the children boarded a train and ended up begging in Maharashtra. The other two children remained in Delhi, surviving by begging near busy intersections and major hospitals.

On June 28, the children's mother filed a formal complaint with the police after her sister-in-law informed her that the three daughters and her nephew had gone missing. Around the same time, the mother received a video on her mobile phone showing two of the children begging near 100 Foota Road in Chhatarpur.

Based on the video footage, a police team was constituted by Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal, operating under the supervision of Station House Officer Prahlad Singh.

The police team launched a targeted search operation across several locations in South Delhi known to be frequented by homeless children, including Chhatarpur, Lado Sarai, Mehrauli, AIIMS, and Safdarjung Hospital.

During the search, officers successfully traced one of the sisters and her cousin outside Safdarjung Hospital, where they were waiting in a food queue. The children have since been rescued from the streets and reunited with their family.