Four high school students reported missing from Potti Sriramulu High School in Anantapur were on Friday traced atop Tirumala within 24 hours by the Anantapur Urban Police.
According to the police, the four students went missing on Thursday evening after the headmistress reportedly warned them issue of transfer certificates for poor attendance.
The missing students included two from Class X, one each from Class 8 and 9, all boarders of Room No. 2 at the Government BC Boys Hostel.
The police said that hostel warden Masthan had reportedly cautioned the boys against skipping classes as it would adversely impact their studies, and warned them that he would report their conduct to their parents. Taking this seriously and afraid of any disciplinary action, the boys attended school in the morning as usual, but did not return to the hostel even by evening.
After a frantic search in the vicinity of the school and hostel, the warden complained to the III-Town police late in the evening.
The police said that the CCTV footage revealed that the boys had left the school premises combinedly in the morning. The police formed special teams and launched searches all over the combined Anantapur district, alerted the police of the neighbouring districts, and stepped up surveillance at the border check posts.
A special team that reached Tirupati found the boys moving in Tirumala, while verifying the CCTV footage on Friday, and they were taken into police custody within a few minutes.
A special party accompanied the boys back to Anantapur on late Friday evening.