TNNPonda: A 17-year-old boy who allegedly stole Rs 1.5 lakh from his father’s shop to fund a trip to Kerala was among two missing teenagers from Ponda who were traced by police in the southern state and brought back to Goa on Tuesday.The two Class XI students had been reported missing on Saturday, prompting their families to approach the police. As both are minors, Ponda police registered a kidnapping case as part of the investigation, an official said.According to police, the boys travelled to Kerala on their own. During the investigation, it emerged that one of them had allegedly stolen Rs 1.5 lakh from his father’s shop to finance the trip.Police said the teenagers changed their mobile SIM cards in Karnataka in an apparent attempt to avoid being tracked. However, investigators used technical surveillance to trace their location in Kerala. A team led by PSI Bansal Naik was subsequently sent to bring them back to Goa.Police said one boy’s parents are natives of Maharashtra, while the other’s family hails from Uttar Pradesh. Both families have been settled in Goa for several years.The teenagers were reunited with their families after being brought back to Goa. Police said they would be counselled to ensure they do not repeat such an incident.
