Three years and still awaiting closure

The parents have been waiting for their son's body ever since he disappeared in 2012

October 19, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 09:55 am IST

Sameer Khan left for work on March 6, 2012, and was not seen again.

Sameer Khan left for work on March 6, 2012, and was not seen again.

he moment a decomposed body, of no more than bones and clinging flesh wrapped in familiar clothing, was found in a lake in Belur (Hassan district), Nasirulla Khan and his family knew their 17-year-old son was dead.

This was April 28, 2012; and even now, the family still fights for closure on an ordeal that started with the kidnapping of their son Sameer Khan. While their son will never return, the family is awaiting his body.

Following the discovery, Belur police had sent samples for DNA testing to confirm the identity of the body. The report, shockingly, was sent only in September 2015, and in short curt lines, the Forensic Science Laboratory says the identity could not be ascertained. “We haven’t been able to perform the funeral rites, and according to our religious beliefs, without it his soul will not have peace. How can we move on? The agony just piles up,” lamented 61-year-old Mr. Khan, who stays in Chikkamagaluru.

Kidnapping

His younger son dropped out of school in 2012 and started work in a car mechanic’s garage after Mr. Khan’s heart condition kept him indoors. On March 6, Sameer left for work and was not seen again. “We got a call from the kidnappers later in the evening saying we had to pay Rs. 10 lakh for my son’s release. We do not have that kind of money and we approached the police then,” he said.

In Moodigere police station (Chikkamagalur district), a missing complaint still exists, while in Belur, where the decomposed body floated up, a case of suspicious death still exists. Remnants of the body, meanwhile, are still kept in a government hospital in Belur.

The police had only theories so far, all of which ended in naught with the victim yet to be identified. Relatives were questioned on the theory that insiders knew of Sameer’s elder brother Mohsin saving up to buy a car.

However, investigations had been stalled in anticipation of the DNA report. “The report was supposed to give us the identity of the victim. Now, we are back to square one. Admittedly, there is no evidence or leads we can pursue now,” said a Belur police official. The body will be buried by the police now.

For officials at the FSL in Madiwala, the case had slipped under their radar for three years, and was sidelined for “more important” cases. “Each month, we get more than 50 cases under 376 (sexual assault) and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act), which are a priority. These cases are increasing monthly, and there is only one DNA machine here,” said an official.

By the time the case was taken up, said the official, the samples were found insufficient to find a match.

We haven’t been able to perform the funeral rites, and according to our religious beliefs, without it his soul will not have peace

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.