Man missing for 17 yrs, cops yet to register case

Times of India: Chandigarh: Tuesday, December 26, 2017.

A 53-year-old man has been missing for the last 17 years, but the police have not bothered to register an FIR (first information report), his family members have alleged.

Harwinder Singh of Sector 41 said his father Gurdev Singh had left from his house in Sector 22 for Kharar to collect rent from a tenant on August 5, 2000, but never returned. The police only registered a DDR (daily diary report). "We do not known whether he is alive or not. We are waiting to hear any news of him," said Harwinder.

Gurdev Singh was posted as a joint director in the local funds accounts, Punjab (a wing of finance department). On August 5, 2000, he reached home early and left for Kharar. The family came to know that he had not reached Kharar. The family approached the Sector 22 police post and lodged a DDR. Police also tried to trace him but got no clues.

Harwinder alleged his father had a tussle with seniors over his promotion and had filed two cases. Later, he was promoted as the joint director in the department. Harwinder said when he asked for the record regarding his service from the department, the officials answered it had been missing. In 2006, then secretary (expenditure) had ordered to lodge an FIR in the case, but the police did not act, Harwinder alleged.

Harwinder said he had filed a case in the court to transfer the investigation of the case to the CBI but the case was dismissed due to non-appearance of his lawyer on a day of hearing in 2006. Harwinder said he had shifted to Sector 41 from the old address of Sector 22 and did not get any summons from the court.

Harwinder said he had filed an application under RTI Act to know the status of the case. In its reply, police said it had filed an untraced report in the case.

Harwinder said after the case of a missing dog of a judge had been highlighted, had wrote a mail to UT IGP regarding the non-registration of FIR in the missing of his father. Harwinder said he got a call from a local police station telling him that the case is very old and if he named any person behind the missing of his father, only they would register an FIR.