MYSURU: For nearly four years, villagers near Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district had believed the worst. Protests were staged in front of the SP’s office, allegations of police negligence surfaced, and many suspected that a missing Mandya schoolboy had been murdered without a trace.
But in a dramatic twist, it was not forensic evidence that solved the mystery but Kabaddi. The teenager, who had gone missing from a residential school in 2022, was finally traced alive in Bengaluru after being spotted playing in a local kabaddi tournament, bringing an end to one of Mandya’s most puzzling missing boy cases.
Kishore from Hiremarali village in Pandavapura taluk had disappeared mysteriously while studying in class 9 at the Morarji Desai Residential School in Tangalagere of Mandya taluk in 2022. Kishore’s father Eregowda had admitted him to the school and planned to bring him home after 20 days.
However, when he returned to the school, authorities informed him that the boy had not attended classes for several days. CCTV footage later showed Kishore entering the school premises on August 10, 2022, but he never reached the classroom, raising suspicion over his disappearance.
Despite extensive searches, no clues emerged for years. The case had sparked outrage in the village, and two years ago, residents had even staged a protest in front of the SP’s office, accusing the police of negligence and alleging that the boy might have been murdered.
However, police pursued with their investigation over the years and finally traced Kishore in Bengaluru. During questioning, it was revealed that he had not been kidnapped. Instead, unwilling to continue his studies, Kishore had allegedly jumped over the school compound wall and fled to Bengaluru on his own.
The police said the teenager survived by working at hotels and other establishments in the city for nearly four years.
“His passion for Kabaddi eventually became the key to solving the case. Kishore, who was deeply interested in the sport, had reportedly been participating in local kabaddi tournaments along with youth in Bengaluru where he was traced along with few technical evidences,” revealed Mandya women police station inspector Liyakath Ulla.