Missing Mancherial Gurukul student traced at Karimnagar bus station after three days

A 16-year-old Intermediate first-year student who went missing from the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya hostel in Kotapalli mandal, Mancherial district, was safely traced by police at the Karimnagar bus station on the afternoon of July 8.

The teenager had embarked on a solo three-day journey across multiple districts in Telangana using the state government's free bus service for women before being intercepted.

The student left her hostel on July 5 without informing anyone. Following her disappearance, her parents lodged a missing person complaint with the police.

To locate the student, the Chennur police formed four special teams and launched a multi-district search. Investigators analyzed CCTV footage and examined the student's Instagram account to track her movements.

The investigation revealed that the teenager first hitchhiked on a two-wheeler from Kotapalli to Chennur. From there, she boarded Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC) buses, using her Aadhaar card to avail of the free travel scheme for women.

According to an officer from the Chennur police, the student traveled from Chennur to Mancherial, then to Adilabad, back to Mancherial, and onwards to Karimnagar. She had just boarded a bus bound for Hyderabad when a police team traced and intercepted her at the Karimnagar bus station.

Preliminary inquiries showed that the student used her pocket money to buy food, including chips and snacks, which was confirmed by CCTV footage. She slept on overnight buses during the three days of her journey.

During counselling, the student explained to the police that she did not want to stay at the hostel. She also stated that her mother had refused to take her home during weekends, which prompted her decision to leave.

Following the counselling session, the student was safely reunited with her parents. Police stated that a further inquiry into the matter is underway.