Runaway minors stopped ‘on way to US’

Halted: The boys were found in the domestic ticketing lounge, at Air India counter at IGIA. File photo

: Two minor boys who flew all the way from Manipur to allegedly “make an attempt” to fly to the United States, without any valid document, were reunited with their family, said the Central Industrial Security Force. The children had allegedly stolen money from home for the trip.

It was on Wednesday that officers noticed the two minors — aged 14 and 12 — who had come on a flight from Imphal making enquiries about going to the US.

CISF enquiry

“They were found in the domestic ticketing lounge, at Air India counter. CISF surveillance staff saw them and made some enquiries. It came to notice that both boys had arrived from Manipur, Imphal by AI 890 at 18:25 hrs. They wanted to go USA but neither of them possessed any valid document for the trip. They were also not accompanied by a guardian,” said a senior CISF officer.

Parents not informed

After verifying details about the boys by making calls to their home, the officers learnt that both boys came from Imphal without informing their parents. “They further found that a missing persons’ complaint had been lodged at the police station in Moirang Bishnupur, Imphal,” said the officer.

Bag with nearly ₹ 2 lakh

“When the bags of the boys were checked, around ₹ 1.94 lakh (new notes), some clothes and books were found. In the meantime, a call was also received from a lady who introduced herself as Additional SP, Imphal Police Training Centre, Ms. Priyadarshini,” said the officer.

The Manipur Police officer also told the CISF that she was a relative of one of the boys and informed that the boys fled after taking money without information from their grandmother's house.

“She further informed that she is sending a known person Mr. Rohit to take the boys. Local police from T2 was also called and the two boys were taken to re-unite them with their relatives as per due procedure,” said the officer.

When questioned, the children told the police that they had a fight with their parents and wanted to go as far away from home as possible.