Thane boy, addicted to mobile chat app, leaves home; found in Goa days later

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A 13-year-old boy, a resident of Badlapur in Maharashtra"s Thane district, who was addicted to a social messaging mobile phone app, left his home and was later found in Goa, police said on Friday.

The boy was reunited with his parents on Wednesday, three days after he left home, they said. "The teen left his house on October 31, after informing his parents that he would be away for one year," assistant police inspector Sandesh More of Badlapur East police station said.

His parents then lodged a complaint with the police and a case of kidnapping was filed in this connection, he said. "When the police inquired with his friends, they came to know that the boy was connected with other children on Discord mobile app and used to chat in the group for hours," he added.

His friends also told the police that the members of the chat group had decided to leave their houses to do something in life in order to prove themselves, More said. Accordingly, the cyber cell of the Thane police were roped in, who traced the IP address of the mobile phone used by the boy and found the chats through which they came to know that he was in Goa.

"The police tracked him down at Calangute in Goa and was reunited with his family. He had travelled to the neighbouring state via Kolhapur," the police officer said.

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