Four days after sixteen-year-old Lara Ravi Kumar left her house, the teenager returned home safe on October 11 past 7 pm, said police. The teenager had stepped out for a walk on the night of October 7, after she had an argument with her father over using her mobile phone. Her family launched a desperate social media campaign to search for the missing girl. However, it turns out the girl was barely a few meters away hiding among bushes near her home, family members informed media.

Speaking to TNM, the Hayathnagar police station house inspector S Surender said, “Lara came back home sometime past 7 pm. She is fine but a little weak,” said the officer who added, “We haven’t taken her statement yet as she is a little quiet.”

Lara, a Class 12 student and a resident of Hyathnagar had a verbal argument with her father over her use of the phone. An argument broke out between the daughter and father that night after dinner.

The girl had stepped out of her home with her three dogs for a walk but did not return until four days later. The family noticed her missing barely 10 minutes after she had stepped out for a walk.

At the time of leaving her house, Lara did not have her phone or her wallet with her. Sources from within the family say the teenager was hiding for four days among bushes near her home under Hyathnagar police limits. The Rachakonda police had struggled to trace the girl as the upcoming suburb has not many CCTV camera installed. Police had however looked through 100s of CCTV footages from surrounding localities to try to trace the girl for four days.

Aparna Ravi Kumar, the mother of the missing girl had taken to social media seeking help from the public to trace her daughter. The family has even created a Facebook page seeking help from the public.