Youth goes missing, parents get wrong body to identify

The parents of a 26-year-old man, Kundan Singh, who was sent to Malaysia to qualify as a merchant navy officer after paying Rs 6 lakh to a Dwarka-based aviation and marine academy, have alleged that their son has been untraceable for the past nine months.

Kundan’s father lodged a complaint with Uttarakhand Police in August 2012, and the case has now been transferred to Delhi Police.

A case of cheating and forgery was filed with Dabri police station on May 11. Kundan, a native of Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, was sent to Malaysia in June 2012.
“His father Narayan Singh later received news about his death in August 2012, but the body flown back turned out to be of someone else,” a police officer said.

Narayan told police that Kundan had done six months’ coaching from Marks Aviation and Marine Academy in Rajapuri. The owner of the academy, Mannu Baliyan, had charged Rs 6 lakh and promised a job in Malaysia.

“Kundan was promised a job as a supervisor on a monthly salary of Rs 25,000. He also paid Rs 20,000 for his flight tickets,” the officer added.

In June, Mannu told Kundan to reach Chennai to catch his flight. Narayan told Deccan Herald that he gave Rs 7,000 to his son as pocket money, after which Kundan reached Chennai on June 25.

“He took a 5.30 pm flight from Chennai to Malaysia on June 29, and reported to a man named Ritesh in Malaysia,” Narayan said.

Ritesh was working with Mahavir Shipping, but Kundan informed his father that he was not employed as a supervisor. “Kundan told me that he was being asked to work as a loader,” Narayan added.

It is also alleged that instead of giving three years’ work visa, Kundan was given a month’s tourist visa. Kundan later told his father that he was being threatened for complaining.

“Ritesh used to threaten that he would kill my son and dump his body into the sea,” Narayan claimed.

On August 4, Narayan got a call from Mannu, informing that Kundan had gone missing. He got another call on August 6, informing that Kundan’s body had been found in the sea.
“They claimed that Kundan accidentally fell into sea while loading and died as divers could not trace him,” Narayan said.

Kundan’s body was later brought back to Uttarakhand after Narayan requested Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Harish Rawat.

“The body, however, was not of Kundan. He continues to be missing, and has not contacted us for the past nine months,” Narayan said.

Police have taken up investigation, but have not detained Mannu or Ritesh for questioning.