Marathoner Budhia Singh Located at Kodaikanal: Police

Marathon boy Budhia Singh, who could not be contacted after the end of the summer vacation of his sports hostel in early June, was on Sunday spotted at Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu even as police have registered a case of abduction on his "disappearance".

"We have spoken to both Budhia and his mother Sukanti Singh. They are at Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu and not abducted as alleged. The boy and his mother are likely to return to the city on July 24 or 25," Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack YB Khurania told reporters here.

Rejecting the possibility of abduction of the marathon boy, who set a record by running over 60 km from Puri to Bhubaneswar at the age of six, Khurania said, "Both the mother and son told me that they went to Kodaikanal on their own. None had abducted them."

Khurania said the mother and son would return to the state capital after visiting Mumbai.

Asked about the city police registering a case under section 363 (kidnapping) of IPC, Khurania said the case was made on the complaint of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Khurda. "We'll interact with Budhia and his mother after they return to the state," Khurania said.

Meanwhile, the police have visited his mother's house at Salia Sahi slum and talked to his sister. Earlier, the CWC Khurda had served a notice to the producer of the film 'Budhia Singh: Born to Run' asking if Budhia is with him amid speculation that he would attend a promotional event for the film.

Budhia, who went to his mother's house at Salia Sahi in the city slum on May 10 for summer vacation, did not return to the sports hostel which reopened on June 4. Budhia also skipped classes in the DAV School, CS Pur, where he was a student.

While the sports hostel has no information about the whereabouts of Budhia, the boy has taken leave from the school authorities till July 27, officials said.