Staff Reporter
Two teenagers strayed 15 kilometers from their homes while chasing kites in Katol tehsil on Saturday evening. Katol Police launched quick operation following an emergency call and managed to trace the boys at another village after an hour. The incident took place on Saturday evening when Aryan Sudhakar Kulamethe (13) and Dhruv Gangadhar Maraskolhe (10), both residents of Tolapar village in Narkhed tehsil, ventured into the jungle at 6 pm to pursue a kite. As it started getting dark, they lost their way and were unable to locate their village, said police. As the boys failed to return home, a vigilant citizen dialled emergency services (dial 112) to report the disappearance of the teenagers. Responding to the distress call, Constable Rana Santape and driver Vijay Bawane from the Katol Police Station took immediate action and informed Police Inspector Nishant Meshram. The police quickly contacted the Police Patils of nearby villages and received an information that two unidentified children were found in Chikhli Maina village, approximately 15 km from Tolapar village.
Upon reaching the village, the police located the children at the residence of Chetan Babarao Dhole. Engaging with the children, the officers confirmed their names and gathered information about their village and address. The teenagers explained that they had left their village to chase kites but had become disoriented and strayed far from home, police said. The police contacted the family members and facilitated the reunion of the children with their families. The families heaved a sigh of relief on their kids’ return and were happy that they were safe.
Kite flying is a passionate issue and children become so engrossed that they lose sense of time. So when the children saw the loose kite they could not avoid temptation of catching it, as this is quite an sport. Once such loose kite is caught same could be shown as sort of trophy among peers. So the kids after seeing the loose kite did not think twice before starting the chase. In the process the two did not even realise that they have strayed far away from their comfort zone. However, the quick thinking and prompt action on part of local police ensured that the two children returned home safe.