Chennai, May 25:
A tense overnight search ended in relief for a family in Villivakkam after a 12-year-old girl who went missing on Saturday evening was found safe in her relativesā village in Ariyalur district.
The girl, identified as Vijayasri from Sidco Nagar, had stepped out of her house around 7 pm, telling her family she would return shortly. When she did not come back, her worried parents approached the local police and filed a missing complaint.
Acting swiftly, police teams launched a search operation, scanning CCTV footage in and around the neighbourhood to trace her movements. Simultaneously, the family reached out to relatives and friends, spreading word about the disappearance.
The breakthrough came early Sunday morning. Around 4.30 am, the girlās mother Vijayalakshmi received a call informing her that Vijayasri had reached Thalavai village in Ariyalur, where her grandmother resides. It was later understood that the child had travelled there on her own.
Family sources said the girl had left home after being scolded by her father while playing. She is also believed to have taken Rs 1,000 before setting off on the journey.
The family expressed gratitude to the police, local residents, and Aadhav Arjuna, the Villivakkam MLA, for their swift support and intervention during the search efforts. Vijayalakshmi also spoke to the minister over the phone to thank him personally.