Three Class 9 girls missing after Independence Day event at Patiala school

Three Class 9 girls from a private school in Patiala, Punjab, went missing following an Independence Day function on Saturday, according to the police. The 14-year-old girls were last seen leaving the school campus in the morning, with their parents alerting the Civil Lines police shortly after. Station House Officer Winnerpreet Singh informed that teams are actively searching for the girls, reviewing CCTV footage from various locations to trace their movements.

One of the parents noted that their daughter had called the mother from the school reception around 10:28 am, expressing concern and asking where she was. Upon reaching the school, the mother found her daughter absent from the campus. Another parent mentioned that their daughter typically traveled by an autorickshaw, but the driver waited outside the school for nearly 20 minutes without retrieving the girl.

According to the parents, the girls had been attending the school since kindergarten. CCTV footage reportedly shows the girls boarding an autorickshaw through a different gate, after which they were spotted near the Bhakra Canal on Nabha Road. They were then allegedly seen near the Patiala bus stand. However, their exact current location remains unknown at this time.

The parents stated that the girls did not possess mobile phones during their departure from school, as they left their devices at home. Authorities are now scrutinizing call records, chat history, and other pertinent data to ascertain their recent interactions.

The incident has sparked inquiries into the safety protocols at the school, specifically questioning how the girls managed to leave the premises through an unauthorized gate without arousing suspicion from the security personnel.