Indian boy reunites with his family

Sonu, the Indian boy who was abducted and brought to Bangladesh six years ago, reunited with his family in Delhi yesterday. 

However, Jamal Ibne Musa, whose efforts made this possible, is still facing trial in five cases lodged by the 12-year-old boy's alleged captors.

Sonu was flown to Delhi by a Jet Airways flight. His parents were at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to receive him. Later, they were driven to their house in New Seemapuri locality in the northeast part of Delhi.  

The reunion was impossible even six months back before Sonu met 52-year-old Musa while trying to get free of the clutches of his abductors for the third time.

Musa then communicated the matter to the authorities on this side, travelled to India and contacted the boy's parents.

For his efforts to save the boy, Indian and Bangladeshi media dubbed Musa “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” after a Bollywood blockbuster of the same name.

In the movie, the protagonist tries to take a mute six-year-old Pakistani girl back to her homeland to reunite her with her family. Bajrangi (Salman Khan) eventually completes his mission with the help of a Pakistani journalist, though after many ordeals.

Upon learning about Musa's efforts, Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj intervened to ensure the repatriation of Sonu.

Swaraj tweeted on Tuesday that the boy's DNA matched that of his mother.

Sonu was abducted in 2010 by a woman who rented a room at his parents' house. After he went missing, an FIR was registered with the local police.

But police could not help much since his family failed to provide details of the tenant.

On May 18 this year, Mehbub got a call from Musa. "I couldn't believe when I heard Musa say 'I have found your son'. He will forever be an angel to me," Mehbub said.

According to Sonu's aunt Puja, Mehbub and Madhuri have been living in E Block of New Seemapuri, a sprawling lower-class colony, for over a decade. Mehbub, a motor mechanic, often supplemented his income by renting out one of the two rooms in his house.

"The woman, who kidnapped Sonu, had, however, approached Mehbub posing as a widow and had been given the room for free," she added.

One morning in August 2010, Madhuri could not find her son. The tenant was missing too.

The police could not trace him or his abductor as no documents had been exchanged between Mehbub and the woman at the time he rented out the room, said a family member.

Ironically, Sonu's alleged kidnappers -- Rahima Begum and Aklima Begum of Geramardan village under Betagi upazila in Barguna -- filed five cases against Musa accusing him of abducing the boy, whom they claimed was their relative.

Asked about the future of the cases since the DNA test proved that Sonu is a son Mehbub and Madhuri, Barguna Superintendent of Police Bijoy Bashak said the matter was under trial and so he would not comment.

Replying to a query, he said police were not going to take any action against Sonu's alleged captors.