The anxious mother is waging a relentless battle with authorities seeking the whereabouts of her son, Venkata Ramana, a top ranker in B Tech from IIT Mumbai. Her last contact with her son was way back in 2008.

Satyavathi, a retired teacher and mother of two, pours out her agony, “My son is a non-believer, but to him I was everything, including god Almighty.”  She has knocked every door for the where abouts of her son for the last four years. Ramana’s father, an employee of the state electricity department, died recently.

Ramana did his MS and a PhD at John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Last heard, Ramana had joined as a research analyst in the United Airlines and was based in Chicago.

Sathyavathi says Ramana went through an emotional shock when his wedding to a girl from Vijayawada in 2001 lasted for only a few hours. In a rather extraordinary gesture, Ramana convinced his in-laws and saw to it that his bride was enjoined with her lover and also signed the divorce papers. A dejected Ramana then returned to Chicago and pursued his job and also research in Mathematics.

After the botched marriage, Ramana led a life of recluse but kept in touch with his mother. He had promised to come to India for a wedding in the family in April 2008 but failed to turn up. Since then the parents made frantic efforts to locate their son but the trail ended in the US and to some familiar places he visited in Chicago.

Frantic calls to his Chicago residence confirmed that the phone no longer existed. His email started bouncing. His company has no clue where he is. “I suspect foul play by his colleagues. Professional jealousy about his success could be a reason behind his disappearance,” Satyavathi said.

She said that Ramana had successfully come out of the trauma and had informed her of his love for a Punjabi girl in the US.

Warangal Urban Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Rao says moved by the mother’s plight, the district police had approached the US consul general during his recent visit to the district town who also promised to give personal attention to the issue and also appraised the law agencies in the US. Police are also trying to help the mother find her son but they could not crack the email account to learn more about what could have happened.

She hopes that her son will return home one day. “When he comes I will never allow him to leave me,” says a determined mother.