After a week of searching, the Indian-origin teenager Krishank Karthik, 16, was eventually located in Penrith, western Sydney, at around 1 am on Sunday and has now been reunited with his family who travelled to NSW.
Reflecting on the ordeal, mother Shobana described her time without Krishank as a “living hell” and expressed disbelief over his actions. She mentioned that, despite their close bond, she was unaware of any issues that might have led him to leave.
In the hours before he disappeared, Krishank texted his mother while she was visiting her sick mother in hospital, asking when she would be home. Later that evening, they shared a meal and watched cricket together, laughing and talking as usual. When it was time for bed, Krishank, who had an exam the next day, told his mother, “Goodnight, mum. Love you, mum.”
Krishank left his home on Freemont Court, Truganina, around 7:30 am on Monday to attend school but never arrived. Instead, Krishank was last seen carrying additional clothing, a backpack, and a suitcase, and used his Myki card to catch a train from Tarneit.
Security footage captured him purchasing two doughnuts and withdrawing money from a 7/11 store at Melbourne Central. Approximately an hour later, he was seen buying food in North Melbourne. After a social media appeal for information, the owner of a mobile phone store on Swanston Street contacted Krishank’s family, revealing that the teenager had sold his iPhone 14 Pro that same afternoon.
Victoria Police reported that Krishank is believed to have been at an emergency accommodation building on Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, just before 5 am on August 6. At the time, he was wearing a grey hoodie, black tracksuit pants, and black shoes.
Earlier in the week, Krishank’s family expressed their distress and confusion over his sudden disappearance. His mother, Shobana Karthik, pleaded for her son’s return, saying, “Honestly, Krishank, two days is a living hell for mumma. Please, my dear child, come back, bubba. I don’t know if I’ve hurt you in any way, but I apologise to you.”
According to his family, Krishank is a high achiever at Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee. “He’s so good at his studies, he’s one of the most brilliant boys in his class,” Shobana added.
However, it was later discovered that Krishank had not attended school for the past two weeks. Instead, he had logged into the school’s system as a parent and marked himself as absent, pretending to be on holiday.
In her plea, Shobana asked, “Why did you leave?” while his aunt, Mathangi Akhilesh, urged, “There is nothing in this world we can’t sort out. Come home.”
The exact circumstances surrounding his departure still remain unclear, with his family still trying to understand why he left home so suddenly.
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