A father's attempt to curb his children's addiction to the online game 'Free Fire' led to a tense situation where three minor siblings fled their home in Surat with Rs 15,000 after being scolded. The children, two brothers aged 14 and 11, and their 9-year-old sister, traveled through multiple cities before being rescued after a four-day frantic search.
The Incident
The children had been addicted to Free Fire for the past one-and-a-half years, often skipping meals and staying awake all night to play. On the night of May 18, their father reprimanded them and hid the mobile phone in a cupboard. Hurt by this, the children decided to leave home and departed from their residence in the Chowk Bazar area in the early hours of May 19.
Search and Rescue Operation
The search involved scrutiny of nearly 400 CCTV cameras and deployment of teams to Mumbai, Vapi, Jaipur, Delhi, and Vadodara. Police Inspector S D Ratda said, "After leaving home around 4 am, the kids went to Surat railway station and caught a train to Mumbai. From there, they boarded the Bandra-Jaipur train but alighted at Surat. They took another train to Delhi and reached there, then again took a train back to Surat. Our team spotted them outside Surat station and rescued them safely."
Background of the Children
The children's father works in a local textile unit, and their mother is a homemaker. Besides the three minors, the couple has two older children. Police said, "The kids were dropouts and studied only up to primary classes in their native place before shifting to Surat. As they were alone at home most of the time, they started playing games on their mother's mobile phone. They did this for the last 1.5 years, often skipping sleep and taking turns to play throughout the night."
Previous Attempts to Curb Addiction
Earlier attempts by parents to restrict mobile access failed. When the mother's phone was withheld during the day, the children used their father's phone at night while he slept. Despite repeated efforts to hide the phones, the addiction continued. During their journey, the children spent around Rs 5,000 on food and autorickshaw fares.
Surat police coordinated with the city crime branch, railway police in multiple cities, and ticket checkers to track the siblings. Inspector Ratda termed this case a red flag for parents who allow their children long hours of mobile use.
