Bengaluru Police reunite missing 3-year-old with parents in 16 minutes
Synopsis
Bengaluru's Namma 112 system delivered twice in three days — a missing three-year-old reunited with parents in 16 minutes, and an 86-year-old woman found wandering at night safely placed in a care home within three minutes of a call. Two quiet rescues that speak loudly about what functional urban emergency response looks like.
Key Takeaways
A three-year-old child went missing near a travels office in Upparpet, Bengaluru on 24 May 2025 at 6.02 pm .
Hoysala-77 patrol unit reached the spot within 16 minutes ; ASI Nagraja J and APC Balappa led the search.
The child was safely traced and reunited with the parents after details were verified.
In a separate incident on 22 May at 10.43 pm , an elderly woman — self-identified as 'Lakshmamma', 86 — was found disoriented on Jogupalya Road .
Hoysala-28 unit arrived within three minutes ; the woman was admitted to Sparsha Destitute Care Home .
Both incidents have been cited as examples of effective coordination through the Namma 112 emergency helpline.
Bengaluru City Police on Monday, 25 May reunited a three-year-old child with the parents after a swift rescue operation that began with a call to the Namma 112 Emergency Helpline and concluded within 16 minutes of the patrol unit receiving the alert. The incident is being cited as a model of emergency coordination in the city.
How the Rescue Unfolded
The alert was triggered on 24 May at around 6.02 pm when a representative from a travels office near Upparpet contacted Namma 112, reporting that a child travelling with the parents had gone missing near the office premises. The control room immediately dispatched the Hoysala-77 patrol unit attached to Upparpet Police Station.
ASI Nagraja J and APC Balappa, who were on patrol duty at the time, rushed to the spot, collected details about the missing child, and launched an intensive search of the surrounding areas. According to police, the personnel reached the location within 16 minutes of receiving the information.
After the child was traced and necessary details verified, the police safely handed over the child to the parents. Officials described the outcome as a direct result of coordinated response between the emergency helpline and ground units.
Second Incident: Elderly Woman Rescued on Jogupalya Road
In a separate incident on 22 May at around 10.43 pm, an elderly woman found wandering in a disoriented state on Jogupalya Road under the jurisdiction of Halasuru Police Station was rescued following a similar swift response.
A member of the public contacted Namma 112 after noticing the woman — aged approximately 80 to 85 years — appearing confused and in need of assistance. The Hoysala-28 patrol unit, comprising ASI Divakar and HC Palakshayya H.B., reached the spot within three minutes.
The officers attempted to ascertain her identity and contact her family, but the woman, who could only identify herself as 'Lakshmamma' and stated she was 86 years old, was unable to provide further details due to memory-related issues. Police subsequently arranged her admission to the Sparsha Destitute Care Home for shelter and care.
Namma 112 in Focus
Both incidents have renewed attention on Bengaluru's Namma 112 emergency response system, which relies on real-time coordination between the central control room and the city's Hoysala mobile patrol fleet. Officials said the back-to-back rescues reinforce public confidence in the system and reflect the humanitarian approach the force has adopted toward vulnerable citizens.
This comes amid broader efforts by urban police forces across India to improve last-mile emergency response, with patrol-unit response times increasingly used as a performance benchmark. The Bengaluru City Police is expected to highlight these cases in its community outreach communications.
Point of View
But they should. Sixteen minutes to locate a missing toddler and three minutes to reach a disoriented elderly woman are not accidents — they reflect a patrol deployment model that actually works. The Namma 112 system's value lies precisely in this kind of unglamorous, consistent execution. The question for Bengaluru's civic planners is whether these response benchmarks are being tracked systematically and whether they hold equally in the city's peripheral zones, which remain underserved by the Hoysala fleet.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How was the missing three-year-old child found in Bengaluru?
The child was found after a representative from a travels office in Upparpet alerted the Namma 112 Emergency Helpline on 24 May 2025. The Hoysala-77 patrol unit reached the spot within 16 minutes and traced the child following an intensive search of the surrounding area.
What is the Namma 112 Emergency Helpline?
Namma 112 is Bengaluru's centralised emergency response helpline that coordinates police, fire, and medical services. It dispatches the nearest available Hoysala mobile patrol unit and has been credited with significantly reducing response times across the city.
What happened to the elderly woman found wandering on Jogupalya Road?
An elderly woman, who identified herself as 'Lakshmamma' and said she was 86 years old, was found in a disoriented state on Jogupalya Road on 22 May 2025. Unable to recall her family's details due to memory issues, she was admitted to the Sparsha Destitute Care Home for shelter and care.
Which police units responded to the two incidents?
The Hoysala-77 unit from Upparpet Police Station — comprising ASI Nagraja J and APC Balappa — handled the missing child case. The Hoysala-28 unit from Halasuru Police Station — ASI Divakar and HC Palakshayya H.B. — responded to the elderly woman's rescue.
Why are these incidents significant for Bengaluru?
Officials say the two rescues highlight the effectiveness of the Namma 112 system and the Hoysala patrol network in responding rapidly to vulnerable citizens. They are being used to reinforce public confidence in the city's emergency infrastructure.
