Missing constable traced to city railway station

A homesick constable of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), who went missing on February 15, was found at the city railway station on February 21.

Malleshappa Patil, 22, is attached to the 9th Battalion of the KSRP camp in Kudlu, Southeast Bengaluru. He called up his mother on February 14 and said he missed her. He was not interested in his job, he told her. He then abruptly cut the call, said the family.

Malleshappa is the only son to his mother Madevi Siddanna Malipatil, a resident of Nandikur, Kalaburagi. The harried family tried to reach him by phone the next day, but it was switched off. They called his battalion and came to know he had taken the day off, and did not report for work.

Malleshappa’s uncle Eranna rushed to Bengaluru and found that even after three days, his nephew had not turned up for duty. The uncle filed a man missing complaint at the Parappana Agrahara police thereafter.

The police swung into action and, based on the call record detail, tracked Malleshappa to the city railway station where he had been taking shelter for the past four days. Malleshappa told the police he was homesick and was not interested in work. He wanted to go back home and stay with his mother.

He also said he was aware the police would visit his house and that was the reason he decided to wait for a few days at the railway station. The police have handed over Malleshappa to his seniors in the battalion for further inquiry.