A youth was taken into custody on Saturday in connection with the case of two girl students gone missing from Tanur a couple of days ago and were later found in Maharashtra, police said. Rahim Aslam, a native of Edavanna and a suspect in this case was detained upon his arrival here from Mumbai on Saturday morning.

Police officials stated that they would interrogate him and if he was found to have been involved in the case he would be formally arrested.

The missing girls were located near Lonavala in Maharashtra on Thursday night and are currently in police safety. They are expected to be brought back by noon, police said.

Following legal formalities, including recording their statements and presenting them before the Child Welfare Committee, the girls will be handed over to their parents, police added.

A police team from Kerala was dispatched to Maharashtra on Friday to bring them back.

The girls were handed over to the Kerala police team, which includes women officers, and they are on their way to Tanur after completing all formalities, police said. The exact reason behind their travel to Maharashtra remains unknown, police added. TV channels aired footage of the girls visiting a hair salon after reaching Panvel in Maharashtra.

Both students studying Class 12 in a government higher secondary school, had left home on Wednesday to attend an examination but never appeared for it, police had stated earlier. Their school teachers informed their families, prompting them to file a missing complaint with Tanur police. During the investigation, police traced the girls’ mobile phone locations to Maharashtra.