A rabies death and a missing girl have exposed the harsh realities of the homeless in the city, who often remain invisible until tragedy forces notice.

On the night of 6 April, a six-year-old girl went missing from beneath a bridge on Bhopal’s Airport Road, where she had been sleeping beside her mother. The family, part of the nomadic Banjara community, has no home but a corner under the concrete structure.

The incident came to light days after Bablu Rana, a 32-year-old labourer, died of rabies after being bitten by a stray dog. He lived under the Singarcholi Bridge. Symptoms had shown for weeks—fear of water, strange sounds.

His wife, Sunita, and her two small children stayed by his corpse for hours before help arrived.

Both incidents highlight the plight of the homeless in the city, who only attract attention when tragedy strikes. During winter, municipal teams often sweep through the city, bundling up the homeless into night shelters. But as spring sets in, these efforts quietly die down.

By the end of February, the homeless are back under bridges, on pavements, and by roadside drains—unnoticed, unprotected, and ultimately unaccounted for, as they often lack the paperwork required to establish their identity.

In the girl’s case, police say they are examining CCTV footage from nearby entry and exit points. In Bablu’s case, police registered a case after his death, and a post-mortem was conducted. Sunita is now alone with two children and no roof above her head. The two cases warrant more than police action—they deserve answers from those responsible for the homeless in the city.