Gram rozgar sevak missing since 2014 elections

BERHAMPUR: Over five years have been elapsed since a gram rojagar sevak (GRS) went missing in Kandhamal district. She went missing during last polls in 2014.
Mamata Nayak, 29, GRS of Kusumendi gram panchayat in Chakapada block, went to attend election duty in the last elections from her house at Phulbani on April 9, 2014. She did not return home after completion of the polls, her family members alleged.

Prabhasini Nayak, mother of missing girl, had lodged an FIR at Phulbani Town police station on April 15, 2014, when the family members failed to trace her after searching at different places.

Alleging that police did not show interest to search her daughter, the 55-year-old widow on Monday sat on dharan in front of the collectorate, demanding steps to trace out her daughter. Her family members submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, New Delhi, through district collector.

"We had approached senior police officers and district collector to trace my daughter. I suspect they are not taking the matter seriously," alleged Mamata's mother. She had also met Lopamudra Boxipatra, the then chairperson, state commision for women during her visit to Phulbani. "I am very much worried about the fate of my daughter," the mother said.

"Now the case is being investigated by the Crime Branch," said inspector in-charge, Phulbani Town police station, Satyabrat Rout. The Crime Branch took up the case in 2015.

Police said they took the matter seriously after registering a missing case. "We had formed a squad headed by an additional superintendent of police and had raided several places to trace her. One Pinaki Bhusana Sahu, one of her close associates, who had talked to her frequently over mobile phone before she went missing, was arrested," said a police officer. "We have also conducted polygraph (lie-detection) test of three suspected persons and informed different police stations about the missing GRS," he said. "Since we could not make any breakthrough in the incident, we appealed to the CB to take over the investigation," said a police officer.