A 16-year-old, who was missing from his house in Girinagar since May 20, was traced in Tirupati by a tourist, who alerted the boy’s family. What coaxed him to return home was a video message from actor Sudeep, which had gone viral.
In the video, the actor is seen requesting the boy to return home and assuring him that he would meet him in person if he returns home. “No matter how many fights you have with your parents, nothing beats their love. Please come back home,” the actor has appealed in the video.
On Monday, when the boy returned home, he and his mother thanked the actor and the Girinagar police for their efforts. They recorded a video in which the boy is seen promising never to run away from home again.
Manikanta, a class nine student in a private school in Girinagar, was allegedly angry with his parents for asking him why he missed his tuition classes. He left home on May 20, and did not return. His parents approached the Girinagar police and filed a missing complaint, after which police constituted a team to look for him.
“At least nine police personnel were looking for the boy across the S state,” an officer said.
Things fell in place when Manikanta, who was in Tirupati, started chatting with a tourist there and narrated his story. He claimed to have watched the video recorded by Sudeep. The tourist alerted the boy’s family.
An investigating officer added that the boy ate and slept in the temple premises. Police are yet to ascertain about how the boy came across the video recorded by Sudeep, which convinced him to return home.
"Jus gotta know tat the missing boy Manikanta to whom I had sent a request to get back ome...has got back on 18/06/18. can someone pls confirm if this istrue... if yes I'm th happiest." actor Sudeep tweeted.
