Prankster calls missing boy's dad, demands Rs 5,000 mobile recharge

CHENNAI: Police traced a 13-year-old boy who disappeared from his house on November 19 to a charity home in Ayanambakkam near Ambattur but not before his father got a bizarre ransom call from a prankster.
A passerby who noticed the poster of the missing boy informed his father Mohammad Geelani, a tea vendor, about his son at the home. A police team led by Washermenpet inspector Kasiappan went to Chairs Foundation in Ayanambakkam and brought the boy back.One of the security guards, Purushothaman, rescued the boy who was roaming the streets. He told police that he saw the boy in the rain and since he did not respond to his queries properly Purushothaman took the boy to the home. Police said the boy may have walked or boarded a bus to Ambattur and then got lost.
Meanwhile, a prankster made a ransom call to the boy's father after seeing the posters in Washermenpet.Police said the prankster called Geelani and told him to recharge his mobile for Rs 5,000. He then later reduced it to Rs 3,000.
Geelani informed the Washermenpet police about the call. Police traced the mobile number's locations to Vepery and Perambur."We traced the identity of the prankster. The address registered is one from Madurai," a police officer said.