The Hindu : New Delhi News : Missing Britons traced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Missing Britons traced

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 2. An 80-year-old British woman and her 52-year-old daughter, who had reportedly gone missing from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, have been traced in Varanasi.

According to the police, Olive Joan Ledbury and her daughter, Jane, had boarded a flight to Delhi on August 27 and were supposed to be picked up by a taxi arranged by Master Paying Guesthouse in Rajender Nagar where they had booked a room through e-mail.

However, they did not reach the guesthouse after which the British High Commission was informed. The High Commission officials lodged a missing report with the Indira Gandhi International Airport police on Tuesday. During questioning, the taxi driver -- who was sent to pick them up at the airport -- disclosed that he had taken another person along with him in the vehicle. The women objected to it and chose to hire another taxi for the guesthouse. On learning that they were supposed to go to Varanasi on August 28 by the Shiv Ganga Express, the police approached the railway officials and found that they had made the booking.

However, the police could not confirm whether the women had boarded the train that day as the records were in the Varanasi office.

Meanwhile, the police contacted Jet Airways to find out whether the mother and the daughter had gone to Varanasi by flight. Upon checking the reservation chart, the officials found that the women had booked tickets for a Khajuraho-bound flight from Varanasi today. The police then requested the Jet Airways officials to ask the mother and daughter to contact them and the High Commission over phone.

Accordingly, Olive Joan and Jane contacted the police and narrated the whole incident. They revealed that the taxi they had hired at the airport did not take them to Master Paying Guesthouse and instead took them to Flamingo Travels at Old Rajender Nagar, which made arrangements for their stay at Bill Palace Hotel in Karol Bagh.

The next day, they boarded the train to Varanasi. After informing the High Commission officials about their well-being, they said they would continue with their travel plan and would return on September 19. The police have requested the British nationals to contact them before leaving for home for verification of some facts.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi