Three Schoolgirls Rescued at Kilambakkam Bus Terminus

Three schoolgirls, reported missing from Tiruvannamalai, were rescued by a special team of the District Police at Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus in Kilambakkam near Tambaram on Wednesday. The rescue occurred around 2 a.m., following a tip-off received by the police. The special team was led by Superintendent of Police (SP) R. Uthayakumar and Assistant SP Rahul B. Gopal.

The rescued girls were identified as A. Mahalakshmi, 15, A. Maheshwari, 14, and R. Nithya, 13. Police stated they had left their home after their parents scolded them for not attending school for nearly a month. The girls had saved ₹1,500 in pocket money, which they used to travel to Chennai, visiting Marina Beach and other tourist spots. They were found sleeping at the Kilambakkam bus terminus, having become tired after their excursions, as they waited to board a bus back to Tiruvannamalai.

The police team brought the schoolgirls back to their hometown. Collector Vandhana Garg appreciated the police for the speedy rescue. Subsequently, the girls were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for counselling before being reunited with their family members. The girls' parents work as wage labourers in Kerala, visiting home occasionally, and the children were under the care of Unnamalai, 65, at a rented house in Thandrampattu village.

Further details indicate Maheshwari and Mahalakshmi study in Class X and IX respectively at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, while Nithya is a Class VIII student at the Government High School in the village. The Thandrampattu police had registered a case after the girls left home around 4 p.m. on Monday and did not return.

What to watch: The CWC will continue counselling before the girls' full family reintegration.

Editor's note: The report effectively captures all key facts from the source material, including the rescue details, the girls' backgrounds, and the administrative follow-up.