Missing tsunami victim 'sighted' begging in City

  An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer’s world came crashing down when his eight-year-old daughter was caught in the tsunami of 2004 and was presumed dead.

But reports that she was spotted with two women beggars in Bangalore and Kolar have given the officer and his family, a faint hope that she might be alive
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In a circular issued to the media on Thursday, the City Police Commissioner said Apurva, the 12-year-old daughter of Sergeant Ravi Shankar, was reportedly seen with two beggars. Apurva’s parents, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Sergeant Ravi Shankar and Mamatha Singh had presumed that their daughter was washed away by killer waves in tsunami on April 26, 2004.

Sgt Ravi Shankar was stationed at Car Nicobar. When the tsunami struck the Andamans, the entire family was evacuated by a truck. Tragically, this truck too was engulfed by a killer wave. The body of Shankar’s son was traced later but Apurva had disappeared without a trace. She was presumed dead. A few weeks later, she was traced in a relief camp in Chennai and Port Blair. IAF thereafter distributed pamphlets and advertised in the media. On June 16, a person spotted Apurva with three beggars at a Dargah in Kolar.
Having seen the IAF pamphlet, he immediately alerted the Air Force.  Three days back, the girl was again reportedly seen at a masjid in Bangalore.

A few people had seen the girl’s North Indian looks and quizzed her background. She had reportedly told them that her parents were in the military and were killed. She was apparently in a state of shock, according to those who interacted with her, Wg Cmdr Sunny Thomas told Deccan Herald.

The police said anyone who spots Apurva could call Ph: 92417 02635, 92412 68001, Wing Commander Sunny Thomas: 94482 87813, Warrant Officer Kumud Rajan: 97403 87436, Junior Warrant Officer Brijesh: 94489 05885, Corporal GJ Reddy: 94495 05911 or Kolar Superintendent of Police, Paninder Singh: 94484 48622.

Currently, Sgt Ravishankar stays at: SMQ017/2, Air Force Vayusena Bad Tuglakabad, New Delhi-110062.

His permanent address: Q-N-2271214, Chota Govindpur village post Jamshedpur district, Jharkhand-831015.