An astonishing incident involving a 12-year-old girl who traveled for over 33 hours in a free bus to escape returning to her hostel in Telangana, India went viral online.
The girl, an eighth-grade student at a private school with hostel accommodation, had spent her Christmas holidays at her grandmother’s house. Reluctant to return to the hostel, she embarked on a journey with her grandfather, taking advantage of the government’s free travel policy for women.
After an anxious search involving her parents and the police, she was located at a Bus Station in Hyderabad, putting an end to the episode. Her father, aided by the police and social media, used CCTV footage to track her journey from Karimnagar to Hyderabad, eventually reuniting with her at the Bus Station.
The incident highlighted the unintended consequences of the free travel policy and the power of social media in a time of crisis.