KOTTAYAM: A day after Dinu Alex, 30, a die-hard Lionel Messi fan hailing from Arumanoor near here, reportedly went missing in the Meenachil river, search operations by the police and Fire and Rescue personnel failed to bear fruit.
Though two units of the Fire and Rescue team from Kottayam led by station officer K V Sivadasan conducted a massive search in the river between Arumanoor and Kottayam with the help of locals, nothing could be found.
Heavy currents in the river and thick shrubberies and plants on river banks are making our efforts difficult.
We will continue our search tomorrow, said Sivadasan.It was in the wee hours of Friday that Dinu went missing from his house. After a sniffer dog led the sleuths to the river bank, the police suspect that Dinu - upset over Argentina's stunning 3-0 loss to Croatia in the Fifa World Cup - attempted suicide by jumping into the river.
As per the statements of Dinu's parents and friends, we suspect that he might have jumped into the river following the defeat of Argentina. However, we will consider all other possibilities as well, said V S Anil Kumar, station house officer at Ayarkunnam police station.The police have also registered a man missing case and launched an inquiry.