Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh): A 17-year-old JEE aspirant, who vanished from his hostel in Rajasthan’s Kota, on February 13th, has been found in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, following extensive search efforts for 11 days, media reports said.

Piyush, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, had been staying in a hostel at Kota's Indra Vihar for the last two years while preparing for the IIT-JEE exams, reported NDTV.

His disappearance caused worry among family members and authorities, prompting a rapid response to find him.

Senior police officer Amrita Duhan stated that the search operation covered various areas, with teams pursuing leads and gathering information on the student's whereabouts, according to the NDTV report.

The breakthrough came when intelligence indicated that Piyush might be in Dehradun. Subsequently, teams were dispatched to both Dehradun and Haridwar to locate him, he said.

Piyush was located by the police in Dharamshala and placed under custody. Cooperation was established between local law enforcement and the Kota Police during the operation, according to the report.

The family members of the missing student joined the police team during this process.

As per the authorities, Piyush's mental state is unstable, and he is reluctant to share any details.

The police plan to transport him back to Kota, where he will receive counselling. Subsequent interrogation aims to uncover the reasons behind his journey from Kota to Dharamshala.

Maheshchand Kapasia, Piyush's father, said that the last communication with his son occurred on the morning of February 13 when Piyush spoke to his mother, the report said.

Afterwards, Piyush ceased responding to his family's attempts to reach him and turned off his phone. Concerned for his safety, the family reported him missing.

Their worries escalated upon discovering that Piyush had not returned to his hostel room after leaving for an exam.

Consequently, the family travelled to Kota, where they lodged a missing person report at the Jawahar Nagar police station, according to the report.

While in Kota, the family learned that Piyush had recently taken the JEE-Mains exam and obtained a score placing him in the 13th percentile. They revealed that their teenage son had prepared for the IIT-JEE over the preceding two years.

CCTV footage from the Kota railway station captured Piyush, carrying a bag, as the last visual sighting of him before his disappearance, stated the report.