PATHANKOT: The Indian Army has begun a multi-pronged search operation to locate one of its officers, Captain Shekhar Deep, who has been missing since February 7, 2016.
Captain Deep, son of Lt Col Anant Kumar, and a resident of Mahenderpur, Purnia, in Bihar, was posted at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. He was on 30-day leave from January 11 to February 10, 2016, and was travelling from his native place by a train to join his duty when he went missing.
According to a press release by the army, he had boarded Mahananda Express (Train No 15483) from Katihar in Bihar to Delhi on February 6. The officer was travelling in coach AB-1 in AC-2 and had last contacted his family members on the intervening night of February 6-7.
“The luggage of the officer was found by the railway and army authorities in Delhi and nothing except for the cash from the wallet was missing from the luggage,” the release said.
“A Court of Inquiry will be ordered by the Army authorities as per the procedure and an FIR had been lodged by the relatives of the officer with the railway police in Katihar on February 8,” the release stated.
A second generation officer, his father Lt Col Anant Kumar is currently posted in Ranchi.
The unit of the officer has initiated numerous steps to trace him, including dispatching a party of a junior commissioned officer along with a noncommissioned officer to Katihar on February 9 to investigate the matter. “At this stage, criminal as well as accident angle cannot be ruled out. However, search and investigation by the state police, NIA, IB, railway police and army authorities is going on,” the release said.
No trace of missing Capt yet
Captain Shikhar Deep
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 11
The Army has initiated massive efforts to trace an officer, Captain Shikhar Deep, who is missing since February 7.A native of Purnia district in Bihar, the officer was posted at the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu region and was returning from leave to resume his duties.Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said Captain Shikhar Deep, son of Lt Col Anant Kumar, aged 25 and was wearing black/brown blazer, off-white T-shirt, blue jeans and green jungle shoes.“The officer was on 30-day leave from January 11 to February 10 and was returning to duty via Mahananda Express from Kathihar in Bihar to Delhi on February 6. He was travelling on a reserved berth number 14 of AB-1, AC-2,” Lt Col Mehta said.He was last contacted by his relatives on the intervening night of February 6 and 7. “The luggage of the officer has been traced by Railway and Army authorities in Delhi and nothing except cash from wallet is missing from his luggage. A court of inquiry will be ordered by Army authorities as per the procedure,” Lt Col Mehta said.An FIR was lodged by the officer’s relatives at the Railway Police, Katihar, on February 8. The officer took keen interest in unit’s operational and administrative matters on the Line of Control and had availed 53 days of annual leave in 2015.His father is a serving Lt Col in the Army and is currently posted at Ranchi. Search efforts are on by Bihar DGP Pramod Thakur, Army units at Kanpur and Katihar, and the Railway Police of Delhi and Bihar.