Scolded over studies, runaway teen reunited with family after 21 months

Lucknow: A 16-year-old girl who fled her home on Sept 2, 2024, was finally reunited with her family nearly 21 months later on Tuesday.According to police, the teenager, then a Class 9 student from the BBD area, had left home following a reprimand by her family over her studies.She had allegedly contacted a male friend from Ghazipur, and the two boarded a train to Pune.Police said the duo survived in Pune by doing odd jobs.Her family, however, had lodged a kidnapping case and was extensively searching for her.The breakthrough came this June under ‘Operation Muskaan’, a statewide drive to trace missing children, when the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), using surveillance and local intelligence, tracked her movements and found that she was in Pune.On June 8, a police team first reached the boy’s residence in Ghazipur district and contacted his friends in Pune, eventually tracing the girl.A police team then reached Pune and brought the girl safely back to Lucknow.ADCP (Crime) Kiran Yadav said the case reflects how many children go missing due to emotional distress or academic pressure rather than organised crime. “Such decisions are often impulsive, but the consequences are long-lasting,” she said.For the girl’s parents, the recovery ended nearly two years of uncertainty. “We never stopped hoping,” a family member said.