The Incredible Return of Pooja Gaud: A Nine-Year Journey from Darkness to Hope.
How did a little girl go missing?
On a regular school morning in January 2013, seven-year-old Pooja Gaud left her home in Mumbai, holding her elder brother’s hand as they walked to school. What was supposed to be another normal day turned into a nightmare that would stretch over nearly a decade. That day, her brother entered school after a small argument, leaving her behind. By the time he turned around to check on her, she had vanished.
Outside the gates of her civic-run school in Andheri, a couple approached Pooja, offering her an ice cream. That innocent treat became the bait in a horrifying act of child abduction. Her family, shocked and devastated, reported her missing at the DN Nagar police station. The police launched an extensive search. Posters went up across the city, especially in slum areas and public places. Assistant Sub-Inspector Rajendra Bhosle, then part of the missing persons bureau, carried her photo in his pocket for years, hoping for a breakthrough. But time moved on with no sign of Pooja.
Nine Years in Captivity
The couple who kidnapped Pooja was identified years later as Harry D’Souza and his wife, Soni D’Souza. The motive? They didn’t have a child of their own and chose the cruelest path to fill that void.
After abducting her, they took her first to Goa, then to Karnataka, and eventually back to Mumbai. For the initial months, she was treated relatively kindly and even allowed to attend school. But once the couple had a biological child of their own, everything changed. Pooja was pulled out of school and forced into a life of labor and abuse.
She became their unpaid domestic worker, often beaten for the smallest mistakes. She was kicked, punched, and beaten with belts and rolling pins. On one occasion, the abuse was so severe that her back bled and her head began to drip blood. They called her “Hani,” stripped her of her identity, and made sure she had no access to phones, money, or anyone to ask for help. She wasn’t allowed to explore the neighborhood. Ironically, her kidnappers lived just about a kilometer away from her real family.
Later, when the COVID-19 lockdowns began, the abuse worsened. She was made to work long shifts outside their home — up to 24 hours — as a babysitter and cleaner. All her wages were taken by the D’Souzas.
“I felt like I was in jail,” Pooja recalled. “I didn’t remember where I used to live. I wasn’t sure I would ever see my family again.”
A Brave Escape and an Unexpected Ally
After enduring nearly nine years of imprisonment, a spark of courage changed everything. One night, while the couple slept, Pooja found their phone. Desperate for answers, she typed her real name — “Pooja Gaud” — into YouTube. What she found changed her life.
She saw videos about her own kidnapping, posters with her childhood photo, and names and numbers linked to her missing case. But the numbers were blurry. Still, that small glimmer of hope planted the seed for escape.
It took her seven more months to build enough trust with a fellow domestic helper named Pramila Devendra. The two worked in the same house in Juhu. Pooja had sensed Pramila’s kindness, and eventually, she opened up. “They’re not my real parents,” she said. “My name is not Hani. It’s Pooja. I was kidnapped.”
Pramila was shocked but determined to help. She searched online for better quality missing posters, found the right contact number, and dialed it. The call connected her to Mohammad Rafiq — a neighbor of Pooja’s real family and someone who had never stopped looking for her.
When Pooja finally appeared on a video call with her mother, Poonam Gaud, emotions erupted. Poonam immediately recognized her daughter. To be certain, she checked for a birthmark only she knew about — and found it. “I knew immediately,” she said through tears. “This is my daughter.”
Reunion and Arrests
Soon after confirming her identity, Pooja, along with her family and Pramila, went to the DN Nagar police station. Pooja recounted every detail of her ordeal — where she had been kept, the abuse she suffered, and where the D’Souzas currently lived.
The police moved quickly. Harry D’Souza was arrested and later joined by his wife, Soni. They were charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including kidnapping, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, and illegal child labor.
The fact that the couple lived so close to Pooja’s real home for years shocked even the police. “Their reunion was a very emotional moment for us,” said Senior Inspector Milind Kurde. “We rarely see a case like this end on a positive note.”
Their arrest, though meaningful, is only part of the battle. Convictions in child trafficking and missing child cases in India are rare — less than 1% of such cases result in a conviction. Pooja’s family, while grateful for her return, knows the justice system is slow and often unreliable. But public attention on the case has brought fresh energy to missing child investigations in Mumbai.
A New Beginning, with Old Wounds
Pooja’s reunion with her family came with mixed emotions. Her father had passed away from cancer just four months before she was found. The stress and grief of the nine-year search took a heavy toll on him. Poonam now runs a small snack stall at a railway station, working tirelessly to support her family, including her three children. But the financial strain is intense.
“Our situation is such that if I miss even one day of work, we won’t have enough for food,” Poonam said.
Pooja, now 16, is doing her best to adjust to life at home. But the trauma remains. She suffers from nightmares, anxiety, and frequent illnesses. Doctors have revealed she has swollen bones in her back — a lasting mark of the abuse she endured. She still hears the voices of her kidnappers in her head and prefers not to go out unless accompanied by a family member.
Still, there’s warmth in the home again. Neighbors who remembered Pooja from her childhood have visited. Her mother brushes her hair, cooks her favorite meals, and showers her with love, trying to make up for lost time. “Work is hard,” Poonam said, “but when I see Pooja, I find strength.”
The Bigger Picture: India’s Missing Children Crisis
Pooja’s case is just one of thousands in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 83,350 children were reported missing in 2022 alone — a 7.5% rise from the previous year. Of those, 62,946 were girls, and 24 were transgender children. Maharashtra, the state where Pooja was found, reported 5,398 missing minors. Shockingly, nearly half remained untraced by year-end.
These figures paint a grim picture. Human trafficking, child labor, and systemic poverty continue to fuel the crisis. While some children are kidnapped by strangers, many vanish due to domestic abuse, forced marriages, or even being sold off by families struggling to survive.
Police forces in cities like Mumbai have responded by launching initiatives like “Operation Reunite,” aimed at tracing missing children and shutting down illegal child labor rings. But activists stress that prevention, education, and stronger law enforcement are essential.
Even when arrests are made, families like Pooja’s rarely see justice. Without convictions, there is little to deter future crimes. That’s why awareness, community involvement, and grassroots action — like Pramila’s heroic intervention — are so important.
Hope and Healing
Today, Pooja says she wants to study and help her mother financially. Her dreams were stolen for nine years, but she’s hopeful about reclaiming her future. “I feel good now that I am home,” she said. “I’m surrounded by people who love me.”
Her story is one of unimaginable pain — but also of strength, courage, and the power of a caring stranger who refused to look away.
As Poonam says, “I thought I lost her forever. But now, every time I see Pooja, I feel alive again.”