Mumbai Police praised for rescuing 4-year-old Aarohi after a multi-city 6 month operation
- trushali Kotecha
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Written by Anwesha Mitra
November 24, 2025 23:27 IST
Netizens have showered praise on Mumbai Police after details of a relentless six-month operation came to light on Sunday.
Mumbai Police praised for rescuing 4-year-old Aarohi after a multi-city 6 month operation
Netizens have showered praise on Mumbai Police after details of a relentless six-month operation came to light on Sunday. The case pertained to the kidnapping of four-year-old Aarohi earlier this year — triggering a multi-city bid for rescue that eventually led officials to Varanasi.
“Mumbai Police… You just gave us the gift of hope and happiness. For this alone, you rank as one of the finest forces in the world,” applauded business leader Anand Mahindra.
What happened to the toddler?
According to details shared by Mumbai Police, Aarohi was kidnapped from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus while travelling with her parents. The investigation eventually led to an orphanage in Varanasi through the efforts of MRA Marg Police Station. A photo shared on X showed the child standing with her beaming parents and other officials after the rescue operation.
“The investigation uncovered that the accused had taken her by train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Varanasi. Several teams were swiftly mobilised, conducting a thorough search from Mumbai to Varanasi, examining CCTV footage across railway stations, and coordinating with Varanasi Police. The child was ultimately found safe at an orphanage,” the Mumbai Police handle wrote on X earlier this month.
But the crisp summarisation appears to have left out several details — including the way officials in Mumbai had refused to close the case and led a determined search for the four-year-old.
‘Officers carried her photograph in their pockets and…’
“The police refused to close the file. They printed posters with Aarohi’s face, stuck them on every platform from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Bhusawal to Varanasi Cantt. They ran newspaper ads, knocked on doors, and begged journalists for help. Six months is a long time for hope to stay alive, but some officers carried her photograph in their shirt pockets like it was their own child,” wrote X user Mohini Maheshwari.
The lengthy social media post was cited by several well-known personalities including Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra on Monday. Maheshwari revealed that baby Aarohi had been kidnapped while her parents sat at CSMT on May 20. They had travelled from Solapur to Mumbai for her father’s treatment and briefly nodded off while waiting for their train.
What followed was a harrowing six months for the family — with frequent visits to the police station and frantic efforts to locate Aarohi by showing ” the same crumpled photograph to strangers on trains, in slums, in orphanages.”. Meanwhile the tiny girl was now living hundreds of kilometers away in Varanasi. She had no memory of her real name and was called ‘Kashi’ by the orphanage where she stayed.
“She had been found crying near the railway tracks in June, barefoot and terrified. The orphanage gave her food, a bed, and a new name. She smiled easily, because children always do, but sometimes at night she clutched the edge of her blanket and asked for “Aai” — Marathi for mother — and no one understood…On November 13, a local reporter in Varanasi saw the poster. Something clicked. He had seen a girl who spoke Marathi words in her sleep. He made a phone call. The next morning, a Mumbai Police inspector sat in front of a laptop in Varanasi and opened a video call…” the X post recounted.
Return to Mumbai
The toddler returned home on Children’s Day — November 14 — with the police and her parents eagerly waiting for the plane to land.
“The entire Mumbai Crime Branch was waiting when the plane landed. They had bought her balloons and a new frock. The little girl ran towards them the moment she stepped out and saw the sea of khaki uniforms. Tiny legs pumping, arms outstretched, she threw herself at the nearest officer and laughed. The officer, a tough man who had seen everything, felt his eyes burn. He lifted her high, and she wrapped her arms around his neck like he was family. Her parents were crying too hard to walk. So the policemen carried their daughter to them,” Maheshwari adds.
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