New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS): The only clue a vagabond girl aged 17 years provided to the Delhi Police Anti Human Trafficking unit (AHTU) after much counselling was the statement "My father is a porter".

The Delhi Police's South East district unit then developed the lead to unite the girl with her parents in Ludhiana, Punjab.

According to the police, a team of AHTU visited the "Prayas juvenile Aid Centre" Tughlakabad for counselling of missing children on October 1 and met a minor girl aged 17 years lodged as a vagabond who was spotted at New Delhi Railway Station.

On enquiry, it was learnt that the missing girl had come to them about 8 years ago. On systematic examination, the minor girl revealed that she is from Ludhiana, Punjab but failed to give any other account of her past.

As it was a challenging task to trace the parents of missing girl, the team decided to carry out an in-depth probe.

During further counselling, the girl revealed that her father works as porter or loader at Ludhiana Railway Station.

A call was made to SHO, GRP Ludhaina Railway Station and her picture and description shared with them but nothing fruitful came out.

Thereafter, repeated announcements were made from Railway Station Ludhiana and the records of porters checked. The railway station and nearby areas were physically searched to locate her father.

Her picture and other information was shared with hundreds of people working or living near the railway station.

"Finally Chief-Ticket-Inspector Ludhiana Railway Station Lakhan Lal Meena revealed that the father of child had left the station long back and was now working at a dhaba close to the railway station. Finally, the father of the girl was traced from an eatery at Ludhiana.

He identified her as his missing daughter through her picture. He confessed that his strict behaviour had made his daughter run away from the house.

"Necessary formalities are now being made to reunite the minor girl with her parents," said RP Meena, DCP South East Delhi.