For a couple from Uttar Pradesh a fun-filled trip to the national Capital for shopping for their daughter's sixth birthday turned into a harrowing experience after she got lost in the crowded and cramped Chandni Chowk market.
With bags of clothes and birthday decorations, the girl's parents went shop to shop enquiring about their daughter, finally reaching a police post where they sought help.
"They were tense and in tears. We deployed our local network to find the girl and after a two-hour search, we finally traced her," said Head Constable Bharat recalling the December 7 incident.
It was difficult to locate her amid the huge rush of shoppers, but not impossible, said Bharat, who is in touch with the family who celebrated the girl's birthday on Wednesday.
"They had invited me and my colleagues to attend her birthday party, but “we have our duties here," said the head constable, who plans to visit the family in Uttar Pradesh's Kondri village soon along with his team from the Lahori Gate police station. The details of the girl were sent on WhatsApp groups, comprising shopkeepers, police personnel and local institutions, he said, adding that the girl was found by members of the Shish Ganj Gurudwara in Chandni Chowk.