BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Monday asked the city police to show seriousness in tracking the whereabouts of missing techie Kumar Ajitabh as there has been no lead in the probe as of now. Justice A S Bopanna said that such cases are bound to happen unless the city police show seriousness in the investigation. The court made this observation after looking into the report on the progress of the investigation submitted by the city police and adjourned the hearing to January 16. Ajitabh went missing when he left home after receiving a call from a prospective buyer of his car which he had advertised on online marketplace OLX.
The report was submitted by the investigating officials through the Additional Advocate General A G Shivanna to the court. The court was hearing the petition filed by Ajitabh’s father Ashok Kumar Sinha who had moved the court seeking directions to the city police to transfer the investigation to the CBI, accusing the city police of failing to trace his son even two weeks after he went missing.
Explaining the efforts made for a ‘tower dump’ to trace the missing techie based on the last call he made, Shivanna told the court that eight teams involving 60 officers have been constituted and while substantial progress had been made, two weeks time was needed to complete the investigation. However, the court said that there was no lead in the investigation, and said that some serious efforts were required in the matter. The investigation is common in every case. But these kinds of cases are bound to happen unless you (city police) show seriousness, the court added.
Meanwhile, petitioner’s counsel pressed for transfer of investigation to CBI considering the question of credibility of the IT sector involved in this case and its ramifications, while citing the judgment of an apex court.Ajitabh’s father also said that he was apprehensive that his son’s disappearance could be part of an organized crime ring or that his son’s skills could be used for anti-national activities out of coercion or even that his son could be made a victim of organ-trafficking.
Then, the court said that the demand of the petitioner may be considered to some extent but not every case could be handed over to the CBI. Asking for a CBI probe into a missing person case may not be right. Citing another example, the court said that family members of a historian had approached the Supreme Court as there was no lead in the probe. Hence serious efforts were required to ensure public confidence in the system and avoid daily agony for the father of the missing techie, the court said.Ajitabh has been missing since December 18, when he went out to meet a prospective car buyer.
Developments so far
December 18, 2017: Whitefield resident Kumar Ajitabh receives
a call from an unknown person claiming to be a prospective buyer for his car. Ajitabh
leaves home around 6.30 pm
to meet the buyer, and has
been missing since then.
December 20, 2017: Ajitabh’s friend and flatmate Ravi Kumar lodges a complaint with Whitefield Police Station.
December 22, 2017:
OLX shares initial information with city police.
December 26, 2017: City police seek additional inputs
December 29, 2017: Ajitabh’s father Sinha Sinha lodges another complaint
January 3, 2018: OLX shares more information after city police warn of action.
January 8, 2018:
Police submit report to court