After 'Reuniting' With Family In UP, Missing Son's Claim Under Scanner

Uttarakhand Police is looking into the suspicious claims of a man who was "reunited" with two separate families -- one in Ghaziabad and another in Dehradun -- within a span of five months after he claimed that he was their long-lost son who had been a victim of trafficking.

The emotional story of Bhim Singh returning to his parents in Ghaziabad after 31 years, which was covered widely in the media recently, caught the attention of Dehradun Police. The man claimed that he was kidnapped as an eight-year-old and sought the help of UP Police which "reunited" him with the family.

Police sources here said the man had allegedly made a similar claim five months back in Dehradun, where he had identified another family as his own and had started living with them. However, recently he left for Delhi and did not return.

Calling himself Monu Sharma, he had approached a police station in Dehradun and requested them to help him find his parents.

Both times, he allegedly made the same claim -- that he was kidnapped in his childhood and was forced to live as a bonded labourer in Rajasthan.

His picture was circulated in newspapers and other media, after which a woman Asha Sharma identified him as her missing son and the man started living with her family.

A few days back, he allegedly left his Dehradun home for Delhi and has since then made no contact with his "parents".

Later, Asha came to know that the man claiming to be Monu has now been "reunited" with another family in Ghaziabad.

She said that Monu would often quarrel with her daughter's children, asking them to be thrown out of the house. Asha's husband Kapildev Sharma said that he always doubted the man's claims but allowed him to stay in the house because of his wife.

He said that before leaving for Delhi, he borrowed Rs 8,000 from a person in Dehradun.

When the police came to their house and said that he was now living with another family in Ghaziabad, Kapildev said they told the police that they did not want to see the man's face again.

Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Inspector Praveen Pant, who helped the man meet Asha and Kapildev in Dehradun, said that the investigation is still on and, if necessary, the team will also go to Ghaziabad.

Pant said that when the man came to them in Dehradun, he seemed a "little mentally unstable".

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said that the police are keeping a close watch on the case. He said that at present no case has been registered against the man in Dehradun.

Ghaziabad Police have also contacted their counterparts in Dehradun and are investigating the case further.

"Discrepancies have emerged in Raju's (Bhim Singh) statements as he could not provide the name of the truck driver who dropped him off both in Dehradun and Ghaziabad, raising suspicion," said Ghaziabad Deputy Commissioner of Police Nimish Patil.

"Despite the inconsistencies in Raju's statements, we are investigating the case thoroughly to verify the authenticity of his claims," the DCP said. Ghaziabad Police has called the man for further questioning.

According to Ghaziabad Police, "Monu" met Asha and Kapildev Sharma on June 26, 2024. The Sharmas' son went missing around 16-17 years ago, it said.