Shimla police to soon lauch ‘Talash’ for missing persons

A special campaign to find persons who have gone missing over the years in the district

Shimla police have decided to launch ‘Talash’, a special campaign to find persons who have gone missing over the years in the district. The move comes in the backdrop of mysterious disappearance of 23-year-old Shubham. Shubham had gone missing in the Jungles of Balsan area in Theog Tehsil in November last year.

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Anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) and a nodal agency will also be established under the supervision of additional superintendent of police (ASP) Praveer Thakur.

Similarly, a special unit led by concerned sub divisional police officer will be established at sub-division level to track missing persons.

Shimla superintendent of police (SP) Omapati Jamwal said “A special campaign will be launched for the next three months to search missing persons. During this period, we will try to find at least 50% disappeared and missing persons. The campaign will continue further to search disappeared persons.”

“Help of social media will be taken to track missing persons and data of shelter homes of different states will also be matched with the data of missing persons,” he added.

He further added that a special effort will be made to find missing people of Nepali origin and police will also to contact their relatives.

As of now, as many as 215 persons have gone missing from Shimla district, including 112 women and 103 men. Of those, 58 persons are of Nepali origin. In 2019, as many as 119 persons were missing while in 2018 at least 35 persons were missing.

The highest number of missing cases has been registered in Shimla West police station while the lowest number of missing cases was lodged in Nerwa and Kupvi police station.

As per the police records, as many as 37 cases have been registered in Shimla West police station; 27 cases in Dhalli police station; 22 in Rampur Bushahr; 18 in Sadar police station;17 in Rohru; 16 in Shimla East police station; 13 each in Chirgaon and Jubbal; seven in Jhakari; six each in Kumarsain and Chopal; four in New Shimla; three in Nankhari and two each in Nerwa and Kupvi.

Shubham’s disappearance case handed over to SIT

Meanwhile, a special investigation team (SIT) led by ASP Praveer Thakur has taken over Shubham’s case. Shubham, a resident of Pujarli village in Shimla district, had been missing since November last year. Shubham was with his friend Puneet, 23, when he got disappeared in the Jungles of Balsan area. Puneet had claimed that when the duo was returning to the village, Shubham felt uneasiness and stepped out of the vehicle and entered the forest. Puneet said he fell asleep while waiting for Shubham and when he woke up he realised Shubham had still not come back and left the spot.

Puneet was later arrested by police but was released after interrogation.