The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said bringing Geeta back is not dependent on whether or not her parents are discovered, adding that she is the daughter of India and it is the nation's duty to bring her back.
Stating that Geeta's Indian nationality has already been verified and very soon she will be brought to India, MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the procedure of bringing her back to India was almost complete.
"We will be bringing her back to India very very shortly. Once she is brought back she can meet the family whose photographs she claimed to have identified. And, if DNA testing verifies that they are indeed her parents, she will be handed over to them, if not, we have identified two institutions one in Delhi another in Indore which are meant for people with certain disabilities and we believe Geeta will find a very good and welcoming home there," he added.
After the news of Geeta's presence went on air, many families approached the MEA, claiming that she was possibly their daughter.
"External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj had written to Chief Ministers of various states from where these families belonged to conduct their own investigations to see if their version matched with what we knew about Geeta's condition," he said.
"Based on that we sent three sets of photographs to Geeta in Karachi, and Geeta has now identified one set of photographs as possibly being those of her parents. At the same time, we realised that photograph is a photograph and conclusive proof of parentage can only be made known through DNA testing," he added.
Geeta, now 21, was found by the Pakistan Rangers 13 years ago, sitting alone on the Samjhauta Express in Lahore that had come across the Wagah border.