KOCHI: Whenever there is a knock at the door or the doorbell rings, Antony and his wife rush to the front door, hoping their long-awaited son has returned. When their hope fades, they retreat to the hall or his room, reminiscing about him.
Any trace of happiness seems absent from the home now - this is the current atmosphere in the house of Adam Jo Antony, a resident of Palluruthy, who went missing on the morning of July 28 while out cycling. Moreover, in these 57 days, both his birthday in August and the much-anticipated Onam celebrations have passed, but Adam is yet to return.
Recalling the heartbreaking situation, Adam’s father, Antony, said, “Adam was very intelligent and excelled in academics, securing full A+ in both SSLC and Plus-II. Beyond that, we saw all our dreams in him. But we still have no idea what really happened to him.” He was very close to us, and we believed he had nothing to hide from us, he said.
After clearing the Chartered Accountancy preliminary course on his first attempt, Adam decided to take a self-chosen break to support his four close friends in passing the prelims. During this time, he prepared for PSC and various competitive exams using online learning apps.
In addition to his studies, he focused on his health, regularly going to the gym or cycling. “He also helped me with tax-related work at my office,” said Antony.
“On the day before he went missing, Adam was at my office and left in the evening with his brother. My wife and I returned home late due to work, but we all had dinner together, and he went to his room,” Antony recalled.
The next morning, he left for cycling around 3.45am, a bit earlier than his usual time. As he didn’t return by evening, we went to the police station and filed a missing person complaint, he said. “He didn’t take his mobile phone or wallet when he went out,” he added.
On the ongoing police investigation, Antony said, “Immediately after we filed the complaint, the police began their probe, uncovering evidence such as CCTV footage showing Adam reaching the Thevara area. They also issued lookout notices and missing person posters. However, no further leads have emerged, and the investigation hasn’t made significant progress.”
He added that he was planning to meet the newly appointed Kochi City police commissioner to express their concern about the progress of investigation.
“On that day, he got up early and was ready to go cycling. When I asked about his unusual timing, he told me that he would be back within an hour,” said Adam’s brother, Ephrayim Jo Antony. He noted that Adam didn’t have many friends and had no other serious issues. However, a WhatsApp message from one of his friends raised suspicions, suggesting that Adam was feeling frustrated with his studies, Ephrayim added.
In response to the ongoing investigation into the missing person case, Palluruthy Police SHO Gireesh Kumar said, “We are making every effort to locate the missing person. The investigation is still under way.”
He noted that preliminary findings indicate that the youth had strict parental guidance and had shared this with his friends.