London, May 22: A 15-year-old Indian-origin boy has been missing from his school in central England after he was reportedly accused of cheating when he scored top marks in an exam paper, British police said.
Abhimanyu Chohan went missing from King Henry VIII Independent School in Coventry on Friday after he scored 100 per cent marks in a mock test and was worried about getting into trouble.
“Officers are concerned for his welfare after he disappeared from school, just before 8.30am on Friday. We are appealing for any dog walkers, horse riders or members of the public out enjoying the warm weather to keep an eye out in rural and quiet areas as it’s thought Abhimanyu could be taking refuge there,” West Midlands Police said in its appeal this week.
“Abhimanyu is not in any trouble, we just need to know he is safe,” it adds.
The boy is described as 5ft 11ins tall, with short black hair and brown eyes. He is of a medium build and it is thought he could be wearing a navy-blue Nike t-shirt and khaki or beige chinos, with Puma trainers. According to the police appeal, he could also potentially be in part of his school uniform, which includes black trousers, black shoes and a black blazer.
According to local media reports, CCTV footage from a petrol pump in the city captured him walking with his rucksack.
“We just want him back safe, this is so unlike him. He’s a bit of a high flyer, he’s a smart kid but he’s not street wise,” said his 46-year-old father Varinder Chohan.
“We’re worried he may have thought he was in trouble because he got top marks on a mock exam paper… I think he just panicked and took off but it’s been four days now and we are worried sick,” he said.
Abhimanyu’s mother Navneet, 43, was the last one to see her son as she dropped him off at the school gates last Friday.
“Police said maybe he is having time for himself and wants to clear his head,” she told ‘Coventry Live’.
Relatives have been joined by friends and neighbours to help search for the missing teenager. His aunt, Manjit Sahota, said the family just want him back “safe and sound” and that they “love him so much”.
In a statement on King Henry VIII School’s official Facebook page, head-master Jason Slack said: “We are all concerned about Abhimanyu’s whereabouts and his safety and the school is working closely with the family and the police to locate Abhimanyu as quickly as possible.”
