CBI starts probe into Jesna missing case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI Thiruvananthapuram unit has started a probe into the missing of Jesna Maria James, a 22-year-old from Vechoochira in Pathanamthitta district, three years ago. The High Court had recently handed over the case to the central agency acting on the petitions of KSU state president K M Abhijith and Jesna’s brother Jais John James. The FIR was registered by the CBI on Thursday and the investigation charge has been given to Inspector K Nipun Shankar. The case was first probed by the police special team which failed to make any breakthrough. 

As per the complaint filed by Jesna’s father, she had gone missing on March 22, 2018, when her father and her sibling were not present at home. It was later confirmed that Jesna had set forth for her aunt’s house near Mundakkayam. There was no news of her since then. Jesna’s friend was also quizzed as it was found that she had made calls and sent messages to him before she had vanished, but he could not provide any details that could lead the cops to her. The police had extended their manhunt to neighbouring states -- Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.  

When the petition to hand over the case to the CBI was taken up by the High Court for hearing, the police had informed that it required another six months of covert investigation to gather evidence. Meanwhile, the Assistant Solicitor General representing the Central Government batted for a CBI probe opining that there was something serious and intriguing behind the missing of the woman and the inter-state involvement in the case.