Says an overjoyed and relieved father

Anand Shah, Karnit's father, was overwhelmed with joy and relief when he received a phone call from the Mumbai police, informing him that his son was found in Uttar Pradesh. "I am very happy to know that he is safe and sound. These 15 days were the worst days of my life." An overjoyed Anand said, "It is not possible to express my feelings in words. All I can say is that I am blessed and so is he."

The family left for Mumbai airport in the afternoon to receive Karnit, who was on his way to the city along with the police. As the news of Karnit's safe return spread, neighbours, friends and well-wishers on social networking sites celebrated the moment in their own style. The entire building premises, where the Shahs live, was decked up for welcoming little Karnit home. The secretary of Pranik Gardens, said, "We are doing this to spread the joy of his homecoming. We also thank all the people living in Mahavir Nagar for standing by our side during the crisis." Karnit's aunt said, "We trusted the police and this is possible only because of their effort and people's blessings."

Learning a lesson from the kidnap episode, the society has set up CCTV cameras on the building premises to avoid such incidents in the future. Vishnu Kadam, the security guard of the building, said, "During the past 15 days, so many people visited Shah's residence that our four logbooks were filled with visitors' names." Around 1,000 people from the locality hit the streets to celebrate Karnit's return, swaying to the tunes of hit Bollywood numbers. Gautam Shah, Anand's friend, said, "We are very fortunate to see him back and now people will take every possible precaution to protect their children."