A ten-year-old boy in Gorakhpur, who had been reported missing and feared kidnapped, was discovered asleep inside his own home following a four-hour search involving police and a sniffer dog.
The child, identified as Lakshya Pratap Singh, a pupil of Class 4, went out to play at around 5 pm on Wednesday but did not return home. His prolonged absence led his family to believe that he had been abducted, police confirmed.
Lakshya’s grandfather, Sadanand Singh, subsequently filed a complaint at the Chiluatal police station, prompting officers to circulate the boy’s photograph through police networks and WhatsApp groups. Teams were dispatched to railway stations and bus stands in an attempt to trace him, according to police officials.
With no progress made, Superintendent of Police (North) Jitendra Kumar Srivastava ordered the deployment of the dog squad to assist the search.
A seven-year-old Doberman named Tony was brought in and given one of Lakshya’s shirts to establish the scent. Within minutes, the dog led officers upstairs inside the boy’s residence and began barking at a locked room. The police forced open the door and found the boy lying asleep in a corner.
Upon being woken, Lakshya explained that he had deliberately hidden in the room to avoid attending tuition. He admitted, “I thought I’d come out after the teacher left, but I fell asleep.”
SP Srivastava stated that multiple teams had been mobilised under the assumption of a possible abduction. The child was later returned safely to his family.
Dog squad in-charge Dhaneshwar Chauhan praised the Doberman’s quick response, noting that Tony’s instincts had been decisive in locating the boy promptly.
(With inputs from PTI)
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