Indian girl kidnapped nine years ago returns home, says abductor beat her up with belt, rolling pin
- 25 Aug 2022
Gulf Today Report
After nine long years, 16-year-old Pooja Gaud of Maharashtra, who was kidnapped 9 years ago, has finally been able to rest her head on her mother's lap.
Pooja was kidnapped on Jan.22, 2013 when she was seven years old.
She says she was kidnapped outside her school in Mumbai in by a couple who tempted her with ice cream.
Pooja told media that the couple would threaten to hurt her if she cried. But, after the couple had their own child, they started mistreating her.
The couple returned back to Mumbai after sometime and lived near to Pooja’s house keeping a close watch on Pooja all the time.
They used to beat Pooja with belt and rolling pin. They also forced her to do chores at home for hours.
Luckily one day she got hold of a mobile and searched about her on YouTube. There she found news of her kidnapping and contact number.
She took help from a domestic worker and contacted her mother.
Her mother, Poonam Gaud, says she is over the moon after finding her daughter.
"I had given up hope of finding my daughter," she says.
"But God has been kind to me."
Police said the child was kidnapped by Harry de Souza and his wife Sony de Souza, because the couple did not have a child.
Harry D'Souza has been arrested
