Payal police safely recovered three minor schoolgirls late Friday night after an intensive search, following their sudden disappearance that afternoon from Bharthala Randhawa village in the Payal police station area. The girls had become frightened after a teacher confiscated the mobile phones they had brought to school and stated that their families would be informed about the incident. Consequently, the three left home without telling their families and hid in the dense fields near the village. The area where they were hiding posed risks from wild animals and venomous snakes at night; thus, remaining in the fields for several hours placed them in serious danger.
Providing details, Payal DSP Harmanpreet Singh Cheema stated that the police received information around 3 PM on Friday regarding the sudden disappearance of the three minor girls. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the police immediately launched a search operation. Police teams conducted inquiries in the vicinity and carried out searches at likely locations.
Left home fearing reprimand over mobile phones
According to the police, the three girls had taken mobile phones to school without informing their families. When teachers discovered this, the phones were confiscated, and the girls were told that their families would be notified. Fearing the consequences, the girls did not go home after school; instead, they headed towards the fields near the village and hid amidst the dense crops. When the girls failed to return home after a considerable time, their families began searching for them. After finding no clues in the surrounding areas, the police were informed. Taking the matter seriously, Payal police immediately initiated a search operation.
Police conducted search operation in dense fields amidst darkness
The SHO of Payal police station, who was patrolling the area, joined the police team to search for the girls. Despite the darkness, police personnel meticulously searched the fields, paths, and potential locations around the village. During this time, the families of the girls also joined the police team in the search operation. After several hours of continuous searching, the police team located one of the minor students between 9 PM and 10 PM. Following questioning, and acting on the information and location she provided, the police intensified the search for the remaining two students and successfully recovered them safely as well.
**Initial investigation into other possibilities**
According to DSP Harmanpreet Singh Cheema, upon receiving information about the students’ sudden disappearance, the police initiated an investigation considering various possibilities related to the case. They examined the possibility that the students might have gone away with a boy, but the investigation yielded no evidence to support this. The situation became clear after one student was found, and the other two were subsequently located safely based on the information she provided.
