Mumbai Police rescued a 16-year-old girl within 24 hours after she allegedly left home with nearly Rs 10 lakh and travelled towards Rajasthan under the influence of online contacts. Investigators suspect cyber fraudsters guided her journey through social media. (Illustrations/Uday Mohite)
Updated On: 2026-06-05 12:13 PM IST
Compiled by : Aditi Pawar
The Secret Exit: Police said the teen left home with nearly Rs 10 lakh and allegedly bought a phone, clothes, and a SIM card in Thane on instructions from online contacts
The Digital Clue: Police traced the teenager through an old gaming account she allegedly continued using, while a bus photo shared during her journey provided another key lead
The Highway Hunt: Following a digital trail, Mumbai and Gujarat Police checked dozens of buses on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route before finding the teenager travelling alone on a Rajasthan-bound bus and rescuing her
The Rajasthan-bound bus on which the missing 16-year-old girl was travelling before she was traced and rescued by Mumbai Police during an interstate search operation. Pics/By Special Arrangement
PSI Prashant Nerkar said police could not rule out the possibility of exploitation, given the girl's age, the large amount of cash she was carrying, and her travel route
