Geeta rejects another parental claim

Indore: Geeta, the speech-impaired Indian girl who returned 14 years after accidentally landing in Pakistan, on Friday reportedly didn’t recognise a couple from Jharkhand who had claimed that she was their daughter Vijay Ram and his wife Mala Devi, residents of Bandu village in Garhwa district of Jharkhand, had claimed that Geeta was their daughter, Tunni Kumari alias Guddi.

Tunni Kumari had disappeared nine years ago from her in-laws’ house in Rohtas district of Bihar, they said. The couple and their son on Friday had a closed-door meeting with Geeta at the Collector’s office in Indore. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes.

According to Gyanendra Purohit, a sign language expert who was present during the meeting, Geeta didn’t recognise them. “Geeta said through sign language that the couple are not her parents,” Purohit told reporters.

Collector Nishant Warwade said, “Since I don’t know sign language, I won’t be able to give precise answer at this moment as to whether Geeta recognised the family or not. DNA test would show whether the couple are her biological parents.”

DNA samples of Geeta and the couple would be tested at a laboratory in Delhi and results are expected within a week, he said. Geeta was found by Pakistan Rangers on the Samjhauta Express at Lahore railway station when she was around seven years

Karachi-based Edhi Foundation looked after her while she was in Pakistan.Since returning to India in October 2015, Geeta has been living at an institution for deaf children here.
So far at least ten couples have claimed that she is their long-lost daughter, but none of the claims were proven to be true.