Army brat who fled from Meerut to become a singer found

In true filmy style, the police tracked down the 15-year-old starstruck son of an army officer from Meerut, who fled from home and landed in the city with dreams of becoming a singer. He went missing on August 2, and spent the last month working in several hotels in between auditions for reality shows.

CHM Vinod Kumar filed a missing complaint after his son Siddharth Kumar, 15, a resident of the Meerut cantonment in Uttar Pradesh, disappeared. An army school student who scored high marks in science stream, Siddharth wanted to become a singer though his parents were against the idea.

Siddharth's father finally managed to track him down to Vasai after he updated a profile photo on Facebook through through his phone using the WiFi connection of a hotel where he was working as a waiter. Avinash Kuse, the owner of Samadhan hotel outside Vasai station was shocked to get a call from a crime branch officer investigating the missing complaint.

"He joined the hotel as a waiter and worked for 10 days but I used to often see him spending most of his time listening to music. I asked him to leave but he made friends with other staff as they took English lessons at night from him. As soon as we learned that the police were looking for him, we informed the Virar police station," said Kuse.

Siddharth said he ran away because his parents wanted him to join the army but he had other ambitions. "I was angry when my dad refused to let me audition as a singer. He wanted me to join the army, so I fled home and reached Bandra. I worked at a hotel in Grant Road and then went to Vasai for work," he said.

Siddharth, however, is determined to pursue his dream and is already plotting a comeback. "I auditioned for various production houses but they did not select me as I was underage. I have written 1,600 songs and will soon come to Mumbai again to become a highly-placed singer."

Senior inspector of Virar police station, Sunil Mane, said,"We have spoken to the teen's father and he will be coming to pick up his son."