Ranchi: Arjun Sharma, 12, who had gone missing from the Dhurwa area of Ranchi on June 1, has been traced in Odisha's Puri, police said on Sunday, while a search is ongoing for his twin brother Karan Sharma and their friend Shiva.
Police Clarify No Kidnapping Involved
Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi, Rakesh Ranjan said, “Arjun has been recovered from Puri. They were not kidnapped by any person; rather, they boarded a train for the city to see the seashore.”
City SP Paras Rana stated that although Arjun was rescued from Puri, Karan and Shiva ran away upon noticing the police team. He added that efforts are underway to trace the two boys.
Breakthrough from CCTV Footage
Police said the breakthrough came after closed-circuit television footage from Hatia railway station showed the twins entering the station on June 3. Since two trains, including one for Puri, were present at the station around that time, police teams were sent to Puri to verify the lead and search for the children.
Arjun told police that after reaching Puri, the children visited the beach. He said they had been begging for food over the past several days. According to police, Arjun stated that when the Railway Protection Force stopped them at the station, they claimed they were locals and had no parents. Police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information about the missing twins.
Political Angle in the Case
The case had also taken a political turn. On Saturday, the BJP took out a procession from Shalimar Bazaar to the old Vidhan Sabha in Dhurwa, demanding early recovery of the missing children. BJP state president Aditya Sahu had on Friday warned of agitation if police failed to make progress soon.
Reward Increased for Another Missing Child
Meanwhile, police have increased the reward for information on 18-month-old Aditi Pandey, who went missing while playing near her house in Khorhatoli under Sadar police station limits since May 9, from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. Police said informants’ names and addresses would be kept secret.
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About the Author: Sanjay Sahay. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he primarily covers crime, security, central agencies besides reporting on civil courts in Ranchi. He also takes interest in education reporting and has been regularly writing on higher education policies in the state.
