Fear of facing the II PUC examinations made 17-year-old Digant stay away from home, said Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police N. Yathish while putting to rest speculations, including that the boy was kidnapped by persons involved in narcotic trade.
Digant, a resident of Farangipet, was reported missing after he left home to go to a temple on February 25. He was found at a supermarket in Udupi on the evening of March 8, over 10 days after he ran away from home.
“We were perturbed when he initially said he was kidnapped. After we offered him food and questioned him again, he told us that he was not prepared well for the II PU examination. This fear examination made him stay away from home,” Mr. Yatish told reporters in Mangaluru on Sunday (March 9, 2025). The boy had secured 79% in the Class 10 SSLC examination and was pursuing science at a Pre University College in Mangaluru, the officer said.
Mangaluru-Shivamogga-Mysuru-Bengaluru
On February 25, Digant left the house with ₹500. He walked along the railway track to reach Arkula. As he had hurt his ankle, he abandoned his blood-stained slippers next to the railway track. To prevent his movements from being tracked, he also got rid of his mobile phone.
He then took a drop from a motorcyclist to the service bus stand in Hampankatta in Mangaluru.
From there, he travelled in a private bus to Shivamogga. He then took a train to Mysuru, travelling without ticket, before reaching Kengeri near Bengaluru. He rode pillion on a motorcycle to Nandi Hills, where he worked in a hotel to earn some money.
A few days later, Digant returned to Mysuru, from where he boarded a Udupi-bound train on March 7. “As he was hungry and also wanted a new set of clothes, he went to a supermarket. He took the articles and tried to run away. But the supermarket personnel caught him and handed him over to police,” Mr. Yathish said.
Denying reports of complacency in the investigation of the case, the officer said that since day one, police had been searching for the boy. “As he kept moving from one place to another after abandoning his mobile phone, it was a challenging task for the police to trace the boy,” the officer said. Digant did not call any of his family members during this period. Seven police teams, head by Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijay Prasad, worked tirelessly in the last 10 days.
As the parents have filed a habeas corpous petiton before the Karnataka High Court, Digant will be produced before the court on March 12. Earlier, he was produced before the Child Welfare Committee in Mangaluru, which directed the police to keep him in the Home for Boys in Bondel in Mangaluru, Mr. Yathish said.
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