The grieving family of a missing Melbourne teenager are shocked to learn he was spotted in emergency accommodation in Sydney and say he had no connection to the city and had never been there before.
Krishank Karthik’s mother Shobana said her life had been a “living hell” since her son went missing four days ago and she desperately needed to hear from him to make sure he was safe.
She said she was stunned to discover he had reportedly sold his iPhone, valued at more than $1000, in Melbourne before heading to another state and that she was not aware of any problems the 16-year-old might be fleeing.
“I wish we had some answers to explain all this. We are very worried about him,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
“We have no idea why he would be in Sydney. He doesn’t know anyone there and has never been there before.”
Karthik went missing after leaving his home in Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, at about 7.30am on Monday, carrying a spare set of clothes, a backpack and a suitcase.
Her family believed Year 11 student Suzanne Cory was on her way to school but she never arrived.
They have since discovered that Krishank had not attended classes for the past two weeks and had instead logged into the school’s parent portal to mark himself absent each day.
A teenager who has been missing for four days has reportedly gone to emergency accommodation in another state. Krishank “Krish” Karthik, 16, was last seen leaving his home in Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, on Monday with a spare set of clothes, a backpack and a suitcase at around 7.30am.
Krishank was last seen on Monday at around 7.30am, leaving his home in Truganina, west of Melbourne, with a spare set of clothes, a backpack and a suitcase. Photo: Facebook
Police now believe the teenager is in New South Wales, after receiving information that the missing teenager had attended an emergency accommodation building in Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, on August 6, shortly before 5am.
This comes after he was reportedly seen on a train from Tarneit station to central Melbourne on Monday morning, where he bought two doughnuts and withdrew money from a 7-Eleven at around 10.50am.
About an hour later, he travelled to north Melbourne, where he bought food.
At 1pm, the owner of a phone shop on Swanston St recognised Krishank after seeing a request on social media asking about his whereabouts.
The owner claimed the missing student had sold his iPhone 14 pro that afternoon.
The night before she disappeared, Krishnak texted her mother asking when she would be returning home from the hospital, where she was visiting her sick mother.
When she got home, she was too tired to eat, but Krishnak persuaded her to have dinner. They watched a cricket match together and laughed and talked.
Krishnak wanted to stay up late, but his mother told him that he should go to bed because he had an exam the next day.
That’s when he said, “Good night, Mom. I love you, Mom.”
Distraught mother Shobana Karthik (pictured) said Krish’s last words to her the night before he disappeared were: “Good night, Mom. I love you, Mom.”
That was the last time she saw him.
“He didn’t wake me up in the morning because he knew I was tired,” Karthik said.
Police are concerned for Krishank’s welfare as his behaviour is “out of the ordinary”.
He has Indian appearance, is approximately 170 cm tall, has a medium build and black hair.
He was last seen wearing a red T-shirt with the Suzanne Corry logo, a sports uniform of black sweatpants, black shoes, and a gray hoodie.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers.
