‘Missing’ Bokaro teen rescued from Puri after 6-day search

Bokaro: It was supposed to be a routine walk to tuition classes. Instead, it triggered a tense, six-day multi-state manhunt.In a major breakthrough, Bokaro police successfully traced and rescued a 13-year-old boy from Puri in Odisha on Friday. What initial fears pegged as a potential abduction has turned out to be a classic case of wanderlust, involving a solo railway journey across three states.Bokaro SP, Nathu Singh Meena, said that on the morning of June 6, Pratik Kumar left his residence in the Balidih industrial area for tutions but failed to return home. Following failed attempts by the family to locate him, the boy’s grandfather, Gopal Bhagat, approached police. Recognising the vulnerability of the minor, Bokaro police deployed four specialised teams to crack the case.The breakthrough came when the teams led by Balidih police station officer in-charge Navin Kumar, alongside sub-inspectors Chandradev Kumar, Nityanand Bhokta and Phagu Ram Oraon, began scanning CCTV footage at major transit hubs.

What they discovered was a solo itinerary mapped out by the minor.According to investigators, the boy first boarded a train from Bokaro to Muri. After spending a few hours in Muri station, he caught a train back to Bokaro, only to board another train bound for Dhanbad. The following day, he managed to board an interstate train to Gaya in Bihar, before eventually reaching Puri, hundreds of kilometres away from home.Preliminary investigation suggests the Class VIII student simply engineered the trip of his own accord, driven by a desire to travel without notifying his family.

Officers said the boy is being brought back to Bokaro. Police will record his statement after he reaches and gather further details on what led him to leave home. The SP said the boy will be produced before the court, after which legal formalities will be completed.