[1]Over 10,000 children in the age group of 10 to 15 years, who came here in the past six years after running away from their homes for various reasons, have been found taking shelter in the premises of the city railway stations, police said on Monday.
Out of 10,181 minor children, the Government Railway Police has reunited 9,056 children with their parents while 1,125 children have been sent to the reform centres in the city, they said. Citing the statistics, police said 6,508 boys and 3,676 girls were found at the railway stations premises in the past six years.
Among those reunited, 493 children are from various states and countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal and the rest are from Maharashtra. "The reasons for the children to come to Mumbai are varied. Some are attracted towards the city, Bollywood or (come) here to earn money while others come to Mumbai to get rid of the abusive family members, frequent quarrelling of parents and poverty," GRP Commissioner Prabhat Kumar said. "Our men did their best to reunite them with their parents.
The children whose parents could not be found yet have been sent to reform centres so that they do not get addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco and other bad habits," he added.
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