Mumbai, March 15: The Railway police traced a medical student, who went missing from his hostel in Kharghar, to a holy Buddhist site in the Nashik district. The site is almost 110 kilometres from the hostel. The identity of the 23-year-old student has not been revealed by the police.

According to a report published in The Times of India, He told the police that he wanted to convert to Buddhism and was went to Nashik to find an institution where he could do so. The student was brought back to the hostel.

The student left the hostel on March 9, 2021. At the time of leaving the hostel, he was wearing a lungi and a shawl. Hostel authorities lodged a missing complaint when the student did not return the next day. The boy belongs to the Marathwada area of Maharashtra. Police Team Sent to New Delhi to Trace Missing AMU Student.

After the complaint was lodged, the railway crime branch probed the incident. Police accessed CCTV footages but could not spot him. After inquiring with his friends, police came to know that the boy had a spiritual inclination.

According to the report, the hostel management also searched the student meditation centres across Navi Mumbai, but all in vain. The Railway police investigating the case then made a visit to a Vipassana academy in Igatpuri. The boy had visited the meditation centre. Kerala HC Orders CBI Probe into Case of Missing 22-year-old Pathanamthitta Student.

“We found out that the youth had been to the Igatpuri centre. He had expressed his desire to convert to Buddhism. The academy staff told him they couldn’t help him. He then left,” reported TOI quoting assistant inspector Hemraj Sathe as saying.

After inquiring with the guard of the centre, it was found that the youth had mentioned Pandav Leni — Buddhist caves at Nashik, before leaving the centre. After visiting the caves, the police found the boy resting there. He was taken back to the hostel.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2021 04:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).