From Reels To Real Life: Kerala Teen's YouTube-Inspired Escape From School

Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 10:09 IST

The boy had traveled alone after being inspired by YouTube reels showcasing the area, he said. 

Investigation is currently underway, the police said. (Representational image)

A 14-year-old boy who went missing from his school in Kochi on Tuesday was found safe the following day in Thodupuzha, a town in Idukki district, police said. The boy had traveled alone after being inspired by YouTube reels showcasing the area, he said.

The child, who disappeared from a school under the Elamakkara police station limits, was located in the company of a local man identified as Shashikumar, who was posing as a palmist. Shashikumar was taken into custody and later handed over to Elamakkara police along with the boy, police said.

“During preliminary interrogation, the boy said he wanted to see Thodupuzha as he viewed several YouTube reels about the place. He said he was also a fan of a YouTuber from here," a senior police official told news agency PTI. The official added that the boy arrived in Thodupuzha by bus on Tuesday evening and was subsequently taken home by Shashikumar.

Police noted that they would gain a clearer understanding of the events after taking a detailed statement from the boy.

Shashikumar told police he did not inform authorities about the boy’s presence because the child had asked him not to. No case has been registered at the Thodupuzha police station in connection with the incident as police said that further action against the man will be determined by the boy’s detailed statement.

Location :

Kerala, India, India

First Published:

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