For over nine months, police were unable to trace four-year-old Sujal whose father, Bunty Chugh, allegedly abducted him in November 2008. But less than 10 days after the Bombay high court rapped director-general of police SS Virk, the child was reunited with his mother Priti last Friday.
In August, the high court asked Virk to explain the failure of the police to trace the child. “What is the use of our privileges?” the court said. “What is the use of you being DGP and me a judge if we can’t help?... If you can’t find [him], then tell [his] mother that you can’t.”
Virk sought 15 days from the court to trace Sujal. Prodded into action, the police discovered that Bunty had submitted fake documents to secure a passport for Sujal. From the passport authorities they found that Bunty had given documents stating that he was a resident of Colaba and had a savings account in the Colaba branch of the State Bank of
India. He had attached a Tata Indicom mobile phone bill as proof of residence.
A case was registered against Bunty Chugh and the passport agent concerned, who is an influential builder from Ulhasnagar. Earlier, again acting on the court’s directive, policemen had issued a lookout notice at all land, air and sea ports. But they suspected that Bunty Chugh had fled to Nepal on a bogus passport.
In the meantime, Bunty’s father Kishenlal Chugh and his wife also disappeared from their residence. The police then started to question Bunty’s uncles Naresh and Kishore Punjabi, whose references he had used for his son’s passport. Though they initially denied knowing his whereabouts, it was later revealed that they were constantly in touch with Bunty’s parents.
Fearing that they may get entangled in a legal web as co-conspirators with the Chughs, the Punjabi brothers convinced Bunty to hand over the child to his estranged wife. Last Friday, Bunty brought Sujal to Churchgate station. Though Sujal was reunited with his mother, Bunty managed to give police the slip again.
