Muzaffarnagar: A photo of a little boy sleeping on a footpath with a dog in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has melted the hearts of thousands of netizens. The boy, identified as Ankit, doesn’t remember where he belongs to. All he can recall is that his father is in jail and his mother has abandoned him. He sleeps on the footpath with his only friend, a dog named Danny. To survive, he sells balloons or works at tea stalls.The photo showing Ankit wrapped in a blanket and sleeping with Danny had gone viral earlier this month. Soon after, the local administration began the hunt to find the child on the orders of Muzaffarnagar SSP Abhishek Yadav.
On Monday, the boy, who appears to be 9 to 10 years old, was finally found. He is now under the care of district police.The owner of the tea stall, where Ankit had worked at times, said that Danny never leaves Ankit’s side. “The dog would be sitting in a corner as long as the boy worked here. Ankit is self-respecting and would never take anything for free, not even milk for his dog,” he told.
Now, he is under the care of Muzaffarnagar police. We are trying to trace his loved ones and his pictures were sent to various police stations in the adjoining districts. We have also alerted the district women and child welfare department,” SSP Yadav said.
City kotwali station house officer Anil Kaparwan said that Ankit will live with a woman named Sheela Devi. She’s a friendly local Ankit is acquainted with and calls her “Bi”. He added that the boy will study in a private school until his family is tracked down. The school’s management has accepted the police’s request to provide free education to Ankit.
