Two boys have gone missing from their Shibpur residences on Sunday morning, said police on Monday.

Fariad Khan, 9, and Mohammad Tulef, 12, who are neighbours and friends, left their respective homes in Kajipara, under the jurisdiction of Shibpur police station, around 10 am, stated an officer investigating the disappearance. They have not been seen since.

Fariad is a student of Class III and Tulef studies in Class VI in different schools in the locality. Their families lodged separate complaints with Shibpur police on Sunday evening.

“My son and Fariad are very close to each other. Though they study in different schools, they used to spend a lot of time together,” said Tulef’s father Soheb.

“The boys went out together almost every day. So, when my son said on Sunday that he was going out to play with Fariad, I did not ask any questions. When they did not return by 4 pm, we started a search for them,” recounted Soheb.

The families looked around for the boys together. Some neighbours joined the search. They went to all the places where the two used to play and contacted railway stations and hospitals.

“The police stations in the area have been alerted. Help is also being sought from the railway police. The families have not received any ransom call,” said additional superintendent of police (Howrah) Milan Das.

An investigating officer stated: “We are not ruling out anything. We are trying to retrace the movements of the boys from Saturday night to the time of their disappearance. We are also questioning the neighbours and relatives whom the boys used to visit frequently.”

According to him, the entry and exit points of the town are being monitored. Police in the city and the adjoining districts have been informed of the disappearances.

“They are such nice boys. We don’t understand what could have happened to them. We are standing by the families and will help them in every way possible,” said a neighbour of the families.