Mom's anguish continues

Accompanied by her daughter Yosea, Shinozaki has been camping in Lucknow to trace her 24-year-old son Kota Shinozaki, who went missing from the Taj city of Agra in 2006.
“When Kota went missing, he was barely 21... all our efforts to trace him have proved futile,” Shinozaki, who met UP Governor B L Joshi and other senior police officials on Thursday, said with tears in her eyes. She said her son had gone to visit Agra but went missing from there. A case was lodged with the police but he could not be traced.

Governor B L Joshi assured the aggrieved family that all possible help would be extended to them. Shinozaki’s anguish is directed towards the state police, which, she alleged, was trying to close the case by filing a charge sheet against some persons without any evidence.

She feels the police has rounded up innocent people only to show that it had worked out the case. “None of the seven accused persons revealed anything on the whereabouts of Kota Shinozaki,” she added. “As there is no evidence against the charged accused persons, there is every likelihood that the court will discharge them,” she said.

Additional Director General of Police, law and order A K Jain said the case would not be closed and the investigations will continue. UP Home Secretary Anand Kumar said the police have been directed to speed up its effort to trace the missing Japanese boy. “If needed, the case may also be handed over to another investigating agency,” he added. Hopes are fading fast for the Japanese family. “We are praying to the almighty to reunite us with Kota,” the anguished mother said.