HOWRAH: Addicted to Pokemon Go, a nine-year-old Howrah boy left home for Mumbai on Saturday night to capture more Pokemon. He was rescued by police early Sunday from Howrah station. The kid told the police that he heard that it’s easier to capture more Pokemon in Mumbai than Howrah.
The mobile game, currently a rage among youngsters, allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokemon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world.
The kid, a Class-III student of a reputable English-medium school, had reportedly slipped out of home on Saturday evening telling his mother that he’s going over to a friend’s place. His father, an Army jawan, is now posted for training in Malda. His mother wasn’t concerned for the friend’s home was barely a few metres from their Bonobihari Bose Road home. At 9 pm, when the kid didn’t return, she raised an alarm. Unable to locate him, she reached Howrah police station. Officer in charge Tathagata Pandey himself heard her complaint and sent teams to Howrah station and Ganga ghat – both barely a kilometre from their home.
Pandey also tipped off the Howrah GRPS. Around 1am, police saw a kid wandering at Howrah station. Being questioned he told them that he was waiting to catch a Mumbai train. The kid also said he was told by an “uncle” that one could capture more Pokemon in Mumbai. His mother was called to the police station and she immediately identified him. She later told police that her son was addicted to Pokemon Go and a few months back he was found wandering near the Ganga ghat too.