CWC issues notice to 'Budhia: Born to Run' producer

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Khordha today issued a notice to a Mumbai-based film producer seeking the whereabout of marathon boy Budhia Singh, who was reportedly missing for over a month.
The CWC has asked for a reply from the producer within three days.
It has also asked the city police to register a missing case and take steps to locate Singh whose whereabouts reportedly remained unknown ever since he left a sports hostel on May 10.
"We had yesterday communicated with producer Subhamitra Sen who has been making the film titled 'Budhia Singh: Born to Run'. The film production house PR wing claimed that Budhia was not missing. However, the PR did not reveal where the boy was exactly staying," said CWC member Benudhar Senapati.

Film director Soumendra Padhi, who is an Odia, in an SMS message said that Singh was not missing.
While the hostel has no information on the current whereabouts of the marathon boy, its officials said Singh had taken leave from the school authorities till June 27.

The sports hostel reopened on July 4 but Singh did not return.
The CWC action came after the hostel authorities informed that Singh did not return to the hostel despite several reminders.
Senapati said Singh might have been taken to Mumbai for promotion of the film.
"How come the film producer know that Budhia is not missing," he asked, adding that local media have given evidence of Singh and his mother Sukanti Singh boarding a flight to Mumbai in June.

Meanwhile, the hostel authorities have informed the CWC that they did not lodge any missing complaint because the boy went to his mother's house during summer vacation.
He has gone somewhere from his house and not from the hostel, they said.
Senapati, however, still maintained the CWC has a right to know the present condition of Budhia Singh as it had rescued the boy ten years ago and made efforts to keep him in the sports hostel.
"Budhia is still a child," he said, adding that his disappearance was a sensitive issue.