The Colaba police reunited a 12-year-old mentally challenged boy with his parents on Thursday, thanks to the QR code on the locket he wore around his neck. An alert bus driver saw the boy wandering alone near Dr Mukherjee Chowk. Upon receiving the information, the police arrived at the scene and took him to Colaba police station. After scanning the information stored on his locket and hectic enquiry, they were able to locate his parents.

Colaba Police’s Swift Action And QR Code Technology Lead To Reunion Of Lost Boy With Family

As per the police, the boy resides in Worli and attends a special school in Sewri. On Thursday, around 4pm, he was playing outside his house and his family members were occupied with their own work. He suddenly boarded a bus and travelled to Colaba. At 9pm, he was spotted near Regal Circle, where an alert BEST bus driver informed the Colaba police about the distressed child’s whereabouts. 

He was unable to communicate verbally but the police saw a locket with a QR code around his neck. Upon scanning, details of an NGO named ProjectChetna.in were found. From the NGO, the police obtained the residential address and family information of the child.

The boy’s father said they had no clue when the boy wandered away while playing. He said, “We searched for him tirelessly and even contacted the Worli police station and shared his photo. Finally, thanks to the QR code and the police, we found him. We are deeply grateful to the NGO and the police.” The boy’s father runs a cycle repair shop, his mother is a homemaker, and his sister goes to school.

QR Locket: Vital Tool in Reuniting Families And Safeguarding Vulnerable Individuals

Akshay Ridlan, the founder of ProjectChetna.in, explained, “Our NGO had collaborated with the boy’s school, distributing lockets equipped with QR codes. When the police scanned the locket, they found our name and number. That led them to us, and we were able to help trace his parents. It’s heartening to see the positive impact of our QR pendant technology in reuniting families.”

ProjectChetna.in has distributed 5,530 QR pendants free of charge across India, aiming to safeguard vulnerable individuals and contribute to a safer, more connected society.