Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 14:

The District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has sought a report from the Sports Directorate and Sports Hostel authorities asking them to furnish the same within three days under what circumstances Odisha’s boy marathoner Budhia Singh went missing and what steps have been taken to locate him.

budhia singh

In a letter to Sports Hostel coach in-charge and Director of Sports, the Child Welfare Committee, Khurda has asked them to furnish details on the date and place of his missing, the circumstances under which he was found missing, the measures taken to trace him, whether FIR has been lodged and the present location of Budhia Singh.

“He was admitted to Sports Hostel where the state government was bearing his expenses towards sports training. CWC has taken cognisance of the matter as it is a sensitive issue. We have asked the coach in-charge and Director of Sports to reply in three days,” said Benudhar Senapati, CWC Member.

It may be recalled that Budhia’s elder sister Sasmita Singh had on July 7 claimed that her brother and mother are at their maternal grandparent’s house in Nayagarh and will be back home in Salia Sahi slum in the city in 2-3 days.

“The matter should have been brought to the notice of the state government. His family members were saying that he had come to his home and they have no idea about his whereabouts. How would the state government initiate action in such as case?” Ananta Kishore Jena, Director, Directorate of Sports asked.

“The CWC has sought a report on the whereabouts of Budhia Singh. I haven’t gone through the letter properly. I would send reply to the Department after studying it. The Department would take further step it deems fit,” Rupanwita Panda, Sports Hostel coach in-charge said.

According to reports, Budhia and his mother Sukanti had boarded a Mumbai-bound flight on June 27. However, their return journey could not be ascertained, deepening the mystery over their disappearance.

While the biopic on the long distance runner “Budhia Singh-Born to Run” is slated to hit the screens on August 5, it was speculated that he might be in the Maximum City in connection with the promotion of the film.

When contacted, the director of the movie Soumendra Padhi had refused to divulge the details adding that their privacy should be respected.

Notably, Budhia Sing was admitted to Sports Hostel in September 2007 on the recommendations of District Child Welfare Committee months ahead of the murder of his coach Biranchi Das.

The state government was footing the expenses of the marathoner towards training, boarding and studies. He is a student of Class IX in DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.