Missing school boy found in high range town of Thodupuzha, found safe

NEW DELHI: A 14-year-old boy, who left his school in Kochi to explore the high-range gateway town of Thodupuzha reportedly inspired by YouTube reels, was traced here on Wednesday, police said. The boy went missing from his school under Elamakkara police station limit in Kochi on the previous day, and was found in the custody of a local man, posing as a palmist, they said.

Shashikumar was taken into custody and handed over to Elamakkara police along with the child, Thodupuzha police said here. "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 reporters here.

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Police await detailed statement from boy

The boy, who alighted from the bus here on Tuesday evening, was taken to his home by Shashikumar, he said. "We would get a clear picture about other things that happened there only after taking a detailed statement from the boy. Elamakkara police are collecting information related to this," he said. The man has given the statement that he didn't inform police as the boy requested him to do so, but investigators did not believe his words, the official added.

No case has been registered in this connection at Thodupuzha station so far. Elamakkara police, who are investigating the matter, took a missing complaint in this regard on Tuesday based on the complaint of the boy's family. Further action would be initiated against the man after taking a detailed statement from the boy, they added.