Karkala: Missing school boys safe in Mumbai
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (NM)
Karkala, Feb 7: Manish and Austin Fernandes, the two 13-year-old boys who went missing on the morning of Tuesday February 5 are safe in Mumbai, it is learnt.
The boys had started for school on the February 5 but they neither reached their school nor returned home. A missing complaint was then lodged with the Karkala town police.
Manish's parents reside in Mumbai and he was staying in Karkala with his uncle. It is to his parents' house that Manish went, along with Austin.
Speaking to daijiworld, Manish's uncle Lokesh who resides at Karkala said that Manish was staying with him after studying till standard 7th in Mumbai. "However, ever since he came here, Manish has been feeling homesick and wanted to go back to Mumbai," he said.
On February 5 morning, the boys reportedly took a bus to Udupi and from there caught a train to Goa, from where they left for Mumbai. On reaching Mumbai on Thursday February 7 morning, Manish contacted his parents in Khar (East) who in turn informed his uncle here.
While they were in Goa, Austin called one of his classmates and asked him to collect his book from his house. This information was passed to Lokesh when the latter went to their school to enquire about the boys. Lokesh then got in touch with Austin's parents in Karkala, and after determining the location from where Austin had made the call, members of both the families together left for Goa in search of the boys.
Meanwhile, the boys who stayed overnight in Margao railway station were confronted by locals who began questioning them about their whereabouts and how they came to be there. Frightened, the boys left for Mumbai on February 6 evening, even as their relatives searched for them in Margao.
On reaching Mumbai, Manish got in touch with his parents while Austin also called back home. Both the boys are safe.
Austin's parents have reportedly gone to Mumbai to bring him back.
Asked how the boys managed to pay for the journey, Lokesh said that Austin had some pocket money and that he also sold his mobile phone for the purpose. He further said that as Manish had stayed in Mumbai earlier, he was familiar with travelling by train and knew the place.
The boys are studying in class 8 in Christ King English Medium School.