Overview

• A 14-year-old student vanished from his Kochi school on May 27 after watching YouTube reels about Thodupuzha and traveled there alone by bus.
• Thodupuzha police located him on May 28 in the custody of Shashikumar, who had been posing as a palmist.
• Shashikumar told officers he kept the boy’s presence secret at the child’s request, a claim investigators are verifying.
• Elamakkara police registered a missing-person complaint, are questioning the teenager for a detailed account and will determine charges afterward.
• The case has prompted authorities to examine social media’s influence on minors and to consider safeguards against unsupervised travel.