Missing youth: 48 months on, no headway yet

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 27

As the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Punjab Police have failed in solving an alleged kidnapping case in 48 months, the family of the missing youth, who would have now turned 25, is somehow trying to cope with his absence.

On May 25, 2014, Manoj Kumar, a Faridkot resident, who worked as money loader for ATMs, had gone out of his house, but never returned.

As he has been missing since then, the family has also lost track of life.

For police’s failure in making any headway in the kidnapping of the youth, on May 31, 2016, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had handed over the investigation into the case to the CBI.

However, the premier investigative agency also failed in making any progress.

“Now, the CBI has demanded a four-month extension for investigation,” said Neetu Kapoor, sister of Manoj Kumar.

Earlier, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted by the Faridkot police but it failed in tracing the whereabouts of the youth.

Demanding for the recovery of their son, Manoj’s mother, father and sister had sat on a protest dharna in front of the Faridkot city police station for about two years, from May 26, 2014 to May 31, 2016.

The family was accusing the police of adopting a soft approach in the case as the suspected accused is said to be politically-connected persons.

Neetu Kapoor had filed a writ petition in the High Court, demanding the court to order a CBI investigation.

During the hearings of this case, the High Court had observed that perusal of the file showed that the steps taken by the police in the investigation of the case were prima facie not satisfactory.

“Our well wishers encourage us to be happy, think positive and move on in life, but in absence of any progress in the past four years, all we have experienced is huge loss and nothing else,” said Neetu Kapoor.