Mcdonalds Pune outlet ...... the boy is from UP - possible reunion of family

Sometimes good things can happen in bad too !

I had posted about the streaming news of Mcdonald Pune outlet throwing out a poor boy and denying entry.  It was stated that a street kid selling some material was taken in by a women who offered to buy ‘fanta float’ – but was rudely pushed out.  The news and video has been circulating on the social media.  The woman uploaded a picture of the child and the bill too on her FB account.

The first official reaction was of McDonald’s India quoted as stating that it would probe whether any of their employees “had breached basic courtesy” and would take appropriate action in the case. After being roundly criticised for its actions and blatant discrimination, McDonalds India said that appropriate action would be taken in case of any act of breach.   There were further reports  that a  day after reports emerged of the incident,  an NGO took 15 underprivileged children to the fast food chain's outlet in Kolkata on Sunday and treated them to burgers and fries. Now comes an unexpected development reported by Times of India.  It states that Video footage of a 12-year-old boy being shoved out of a Pune eatery by its staff on January 10 has triggered hope in a Bareilly family .

Hasnain Musharraf, a 50year-old rickshaw puller, was told by neighbours that the boy shown on TV news was his missing son. Musharraf and his wife, too, have seen video since, and believe they might be close to finding their eldest son Raju, who went missing in 2012. The video shows a poor boy selling balloons outside the fast food restaurant when a young woman invites him in, promising him a `Fanta float' drink. The video then shows a staff member of the restaurant pushing the boy out, saying such people were not allowed in the establishment.

Raju went missing from his home in Aijaz Nagar Gautiya here in April  2012. The boy's father, mother and five siblings searched for him, and failing to trace him filed a missing person report. The couple have now got in touch with police again, claiming their lost son had somehow found his way to Pune, and seeking his return. SP (city) Rajeev Malhotra said, “I have talked to the DCP (crime) Pune, who has promised all help. The family is confident they have seen their missing son. We cannot ignore their sentiments. We will do everything possible to bring the boy back.  Musharraf 's relatives have petitioned Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene.The chief minister has reportedly assured them of all help.

The news reports had earlier mentioned the name of boy as ‘Aakash’ – good if it helped in the reunion of the boy with his family.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

21^st Jan 2015.