14-year-old student returns home

KOLKATA: Fourteen-year-old

Sayandeep

Sinha of

Nava Nalanda School

— a topper in his class — who went missing on Wednesday, returned home much to the relief of his family, relatives and police after 75 hours. However, the Class X boy’s version — that of travelling to Varanasi and back — has left officers of Lalbazar stumped.

“On his return, his first question to his parents was to find out if they had buried their differences. The truth is that a couple of days before he went missing, his parents had a minor argument over attending a marriage ceremony. Such arguments are regular in every family. But Sayandeep took the argument to his heart and decided to ‘resolve’ the issue in his own way. He decided to stay away from the house for a couple of days so that his parents can come together even as they search for him,” said an officer of Tollygunge police station.

Police and relatives said Sayandeep showed them train tickets to Varanasi and back. “He told us that he had got off the train and watched ‘

Ganga Aarti

’ at the famous

Haridwar

ghats. He then took another train at night to return home,” said

Anirban Mishra

, the boy’s cousin. Police said they have asked the student and his father to report to Tollygunge police station at night. “We have to record his statement and complete legal proceedings,” said police.

Police knew that Sayandeep had left on his own as he carried Rs 4200 — most of which was gifted to him by relatives for topping in his Class IX final exams — and a T-shirt. Police said Sayandeep had asked one of his friends a day before leaving whether he can stay over at his place for two nights. Police are now ascertaining why the boy chose Varanasi as his destination and whether he had discussed his plan with his friends.

Police also said he took Kumbh Express to Varanasi and reached there on Friday morning. “At Varanasi, none of the hotel staff gave him room so he spent the day at the ghats and realised how alone he was. At night he took the

Doon Express

, which was seven hours late, and reached Kolkata on Saturday afternoon,” the boy reportedly told cops.