Pune: A coordinated and large-scale search operation by Pune Police led to the successful recovery of a missing 10-year-old girl within 48 hours. The girl, who went missing from Shivtej Nagar, Bibwewadi on August 14, was found safe in the NIBM Road, Kondhwa area on the night of August 15.

The search involved over 400 police officers, including top officials, and the review of footage from 40 CCTV cameras across the city. The intense operation, which took place on the night of Independence Day, had citizens in Katraj speculating about the heavy police presence in their area.

On August 14, Gauri Patel, a 10-year-old mentally challenged girl, went missing from Shivtej Nagar, Bibwewadi. The Bibwewadi Police were already searching for her. Upon reviewing CCTV footage from the area, it was discovered that she had passed through the Katraj area.

As 24 hours passed without finding the girl, the Police Commissioner issued strict orders to senior officers and police personnel to intensify the search operation, especially at night.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, along with Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Assistant Commissioners of Police, Police Inspectors, and 200 to 225 police personnel, visited Katraj Chowk at around 11:30 PM on August 15.

The police conducted a search operation in the Katraj Bridge area for nearly two to three hours. While the Crime Branch continued the search, the missing girl was found around 2 AM by a Swiggy delivery person in the jurisdiction of the Kondhwa Police Station. The delivery person handed her over to the police.