The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Will the Ghoshs get back their abducted son?

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Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Will the Ghoshs get back their abducted son?

K.V. Subramanya

Parents are in agony as the Bangalore police close the case

Avishek Ghosh

BANGALORE: Life has not been the same for Ranchi-based mining engineer Avijit Ghosh and his wife Ranu ever since their only son Avishek (22) was kidnapped under mysterious circumstances from Bangalore on May 14, 2004.

All these years the couple was confident that the Bangalore police would trace their son. But their hopes have been dashed with the police now closing the case and filing a ‘C’ report in the first Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court stating they have not been able to trace Avishek, who was a final year B.Sc. (Microbiology) student at the Garden City College here.

A worried Mr. Ghosh told The Hindu over telephone from Ranchi that after their son was kidnapped, his wife had sunk into depression and was being treated with psychiatric medicines. “As my wife’s health started deteriora ting, to take care of her I took a transfer to Ranchi from Orissa where I was a mining engineer,” he said

Reacting to the police closing the case, Mr. Ghosh said the investigators had not looked into certain suspicions he had raised earlier, particularly the role of B.F. Prabhu, who had rented out her second floor house at LIC Colony in Jeevanbimanagar to Avishek. Mr. Ghosh had brought the matter even to the notice of the Home Minister through a letter on January 27, 2005. Mr. Ghosh said the police could still get some clues about Avishek if they investigate the doubts he had expressed.

According to the police, around 10.30 p.m. on May 14, 2004, Ms. Prabhu received an SMS from Avishek on her mobile phone: “Coming from ATM pulled in van have gun took money but wont spare me 4 (for) police fear. Can’t call don’t tell mom till body.”

However, Ms. Prabhu, a State Bank of India officer, noticed the SMS only around 3.30 p.m. on May 15. She telephoned Avishek’s mother in Ranchi and informed her that her son had been kidnapped. She lodged a complaint with the Jeevanbimanagar police.

After initial investigations by the Jeevanbimanagar police, the case was transferred to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on January 28, 2005. The investigating officer from the CCB has filed a report in the court that despite sincere efforts made by him and his colleagues, the case has remained undetected.

According to the report, the police obtained the call details of Avishek’s mobile phone and subsequently made enquiries with the people to whom he had spoken over his phone. As Avishek used to play golf and was also an ardent disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, they made enquiries with various golf clubs here and also at the Ramakrishna ashrams in Bangalore and Mangalore.

Besides interrogating Ms. Prabhu, the police had kept a watch on her house at Urva Stores in her hometown Mangalore. Verification by the police also proved false the reports that a person resembling Avishek was seen near NITTE Physiotherapy College at Deralakatte in Mangalore.

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