The girl had disappeared from a hospital at nearby Thumbay, where her mother had been admitted for treatment.
The family registered a missing complaint with police as she did not come back to the hospital that day.
The girl, who was living with her mother at home after completing her SSLC, had fled with her lover, a tempo driver belonging to Bhatkal, police said today
Police on receiving specific information, went to Bhatkal and traced the girl on March 3 itself. She had been brought back and accommodated in the child counseling centre in the city, they said.
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