Bengaluru: Three boys, aged between 8 and 12 years, who escaped from a govt boys’ home near Vijayapura Cross in Devanahalli in the early hours of Tuesday by climbing down through the building’s second-floor balcony were traced within 24 hours.According to a complaint filed by the boys’ home staff, a 10-year-old boy and his 8-year-old younger brother were admitted to the home on Sept 4, following a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) order in connection with a begging case. Another boy, aged 12, was admitted on Oct 30, following a CWC order in a case related to dropping out of school.On Nov 2, the three boys had dinner as usual and went to sleep. Ratheesh, a caretaker, was on duty on the floor where the boys’ dormitory is located, while Manjunatha, a house warden, was on duty in the office.However, around 4am on Nov 3, the boys escaped by climbing down through a gap in the balcony wall on the building’s second floor. The home staff immediately rushed to Devanahalli bus stand and began searching for them.They searched several places, including the railway station, highway and other locations, but could not trace the boys. As the children are from Doddaballapura and surrounding areas, the staff members were urgently sent to key locations in Doddaballapura.A complaint was filed at Devanahalli police station under BNS Section 137 (kidnapping). A senior officer said a team searched for the boys and traced one at his grandmother’s house and the other two in Doddaballapura. They were rescued within 24 hours and handed over to govt boys’ home. Instructions were given to fix the gaps in the walls and prevent such incidents in the future.
