CHENNAI: A class 12 boy who drowned in a lake has been missing for the last three days in Maduranthagam and angered relatives staged a protest by blocking the Chennai-Trichy National Highway and demanded the police find the missing boy soon.

The victim Bhuvanesh (16), of Malai Palayam village in Maduranthagam, was a class 12 student. On Sunday, Bhuvanesh, along with three of his friends, went swimming in the Killiyar River.

Police said as the water flow was heavier than usual, the boy got stuck in the water and was washed away in the river. Soon the Maduranthagam police and the rescue team were alerted, and from Sunday evening the rescue team searched for the missing boy, but they could not identify him.

As the boy couldn't be found, the rescue team stopped the search operation on Monday night. Following that, on Tuesday, the villagers and relatives of the boy staged a protest by blocking the National Highway and demanded the police to resume the search operation and find the missing boy soon.

The Maduranthagam police who visited the spot held peace talks with the protestors and promised them that search operations would resume. However, till Tuesday evening the boy could not be traced. The police have promised that the boy will be found soon and search operations will not come to a halt till then.