Kashmiri student who went missing from Noida college, traced in Mumbai; returns to parents

The student, Aasim Hussain Dar, a first-year at GL Bajaj Institute of Technology, returned to Delhi around 11.30 am Wednesday, after he was found to be in Mumbai by the police and family members.

The 19-year-old B.Tech student from Kashmir who had been missing from his accommodation in Greater Noida for the past four days, was finally traced to Mumbai Tuesday night. According to the boy’s father, he was disheartened after his college barred him from attending semester examinations.

19-year-old Aasim Hussain Dar went to Mumbai after he was barred from appearing in exam by his college and was reported missing.But he returned on his own after four days. (HT Photo)

The student, Aasim Hussain Dar, a first-year at GL Bajaj Institute of Technology, returned to Delhi around 11.30 am Wednesday, after he was found to be in Mumbai by the police and family members.

“We are extremely happy to have our son back and we received him at the airport today. He was disheartened after his college barred him from appearing in semester examinations and in his naivety, he went to Mumbai. He stayed at a friend’s place for two or three days and started missing the family, so he contacted us on his own on Tuesday night,” Mohammad Yunus, Aasim’s father, said.

Dar, a native of Handwara in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, is enrolled in the first year of a B.Tech in civil engineering, and used to live with three friends at a rented accommodation in Chi Pi sector of Greater Noida.

He was last seen by his roommates on December 8, when he left the house saying he was going to meet his friend at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida. However, after 6.30pm, his phone was switched off and the friend he was supposed to meet informed Dar’s roommates that he never met him. The police filed a missing persons report on December 11, after his parents arrived in Greater Noida. His roommates, however, said Dar was seen active on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, even when his phone was switched off.

According to his family and friends, Dar was barred from appearing in the first semester exam of his college as his attendance was at 43% — below the minimum required. His father claimed that Dar contracted dengue in October, hence his attendance was low.

The police said Dar travelled to Mumbai by train and was working as a cook in an eatery.

“He was disillusioned with his studies and went to Mumbai. In these four days, he joined a roadside eatery as a helper. We have now closed the missing persons report,” Ramphal Singh, station house officer, Kasna Police station, said.