Two children, aged 11 and 7, from Hastinapur in Meerut, secretly left their home after watching a ‘Secret House’ game video on YouTube. The video featured a 24-hour challenge, where players build and hide inside a secret base for a day while following certain rules. Inspired by the video, the children decided to set up their own base in a secluded spot near a farmhouse and undertake the challenge.
However, their disappearance on Sunday afternoon sparked a search operation by their families and the police. According to Circle Officer Pankaj Lavania, the children’s families initially searched the neighbourhood and relatives’ homes but found no trace of them. This prompted them to inform the police, who launched a search operation.
Fortunately, the police and the ‘Mission Shakti’ team were able to safely recover both children within about two hours and hand them over to their families. During questioning, the children revealed that they had been inspired by the YouTube video and had decided to play a similar game themselves.
