A 22-year-old constable attached to the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) force, who ran away on February 15 because he was homesick, was tracked down by the Parappana Agrahara police on Thursday. He was found taking shelter at the City Railway Station.
Reserve Constable Malleshappa Patil, who serves in the 9th battalion in Kodlu, called his mother on February 14 and told her he was missing her and was not interested in working with the KSRP before disconnecting the call.
His family in Kalaburagi tried to reach him on his cellphone but it was switched off. The next day, they called his reporting officers who informed that he had taken a day off but had not reported for duty. A missing person complaint was filed with the police after he did not report for duty for three days.
“We tracked him down to the City Railway Station,” said a police officer.
Malleshappa told the police that he was homesick. He deliberately did not go to his house in Kalaburagi as he knew it would be the first place the police would visit. “He told us that he was planning to wait it out for a few more days before returning home,” the officer added.
His family has insisted that he return to the KSRP. “We are worried that he will lose his government job, as he is the sole provider,” said his uncle.
As per the rules, KSRP personnel cannot leave the force until they have completed five years.
The rule was enforced following a rise in the number of trained constables and police personnel putting in their papers for jobs in the private sector.
“The government spends ₹3 lakh training each personnel. A high attrition rate means more vacancies and losses for the State exchequer,” a senior police officer said.
