Geeta meets political leaders, assured of all possible help to restart life in India

26 Oct 2015 1:13 PM IST

Geeta meets political leaders, assured of all possible help to restart life in India

Geeta, the mute and deaf Indian girl who returned home yesterday from Pakistan, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.
A team from AIIMS also arrived at Delhi hotel where Geeta was, to collect her DNA samples.
Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, T C A Raghavan, and his wife had visited Geeta in August after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj directed him to meet her and try to locate her family. 
Sources had earlier said that Geeta has identified her father, step-mother and siblings from a photograph sent to her by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The family reportedly lives in Bihar.
The Ministry had said Geeta would return to the country, as she is "India's daughter", irrespective of whether her family is traced or not.
External Affairs Minister of India, Sushma Swaraj had said that Geeta would be handed over to the family after DNA test.
Before boarding the PIA flight from Karachi, a beaming Geeta thanked the Pakistani people for taking care of her.
She was adopted by the Edhi Foundation's Bilquees Edhi and lived with her in Karachi. Bilquis and her grandchildren, Saba and Saad Edhi, are accompanying Geeta.
Her story came to light after the release of Salman Khan starrer 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' in which the hero unites a girl separated from her Pakistani mother who was visiting India.
She was reportedly just 7 or 8 years old when she was found sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express by the Pakistan Rangers 15 years ago at the Lahore railway station.
Dressed in a white-red salwar suit and her head covered with dupatta, she waved to the waiting people.
Pakistan International Airlines flight PK 272 carrying 23-year-old Geeta from Karachi landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport where she was given a warm welcome.
Nearly 15 years after she accidentally crossed over to Pakistan, Geeta, a deaf-mute girl whose story has touched the hearts of people on both sides of the border, returned home.
Dressed in a sky blue-magenta salwar-kameez and her head covered with a dupatta, Geeta had come for the interactions accompanied by five members of the Pakistani Edhi foundation, which was taking care of her in Pakistan.
Interacting with 23-year-old Geeta for almost 20 minutes through a sign language interpreter, Kejriwal offered her every possible help as she begins her life anew in India.
She was received by senior officials from External Affairs Ministry and Pakistan High Commission here on her arrival from Karachi, and was assured that she would be staying in the country even if her family was not traced.
She also met President Pranab Mukherjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Geeta, the mute and deaf Indian girl who returned home yesterday from Pakistan, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.

Geeta meets political leaders, assured of all possible help to restart life in India

About the AuthorDC Correspondent

Geeta meets political leaders, assured of all possible help to restart life in India

Geeta meets political leaders, assured of all possible help to restart life in India

Latest News