Fascinated by Mumbai K’taka boy runs away from home, reunited with family

Mumbai: The Mumbai police located a 15-year-old boy, Navratna Sharma, who had run away from his home in Karnataka on August 5 and come to Mumbai, and reunited him with his family. Navratna had left from his house in Nehru Nagar, Kumtha in Northern Karnataka to go to the bank and deposit Rs 12,000. However, he did not return home and his mobile too was switched off. After his uncle Poonamchand Sharma lodged a complaint with the Kumtha police they came to know that Navratna had went to Mumbai and was supposedly somewhere in Nagpada. The family was then brought in contact with Unit III of the Crime Branch. Cops in Mumbai, armed with a picture of Navratna, set out to search the teenager. He was finally found living with Pankaj Chauhan (35) a shoe seller living near the Elphinstone Fish Market on Khandekar Road in Parel. When the police spoke to Chauhan, it was revealed that he had found Navratna alone in August at Dadar railway station. Realising that he had run away from home and fearing that he could fall prey to anti-social elements, Chauhan had taken the boy home. It was also revealed that since Navratna was fascinated with Mumbai, he had left home without informing anyone. The Mumbai police informed Kumtha police, checked if Navratna was involved in any criminal activities and reunited him with his family in Karnataka.