January 7, 2010 12:11:14 am
Six days after former airhostess Neha Chhikara allegedly jumped off a cruise ship on the New Years Eve,the US authorities called off the search operations late on Tuesday night (according to Indian time).
This comes amid reports on Wednesday that Nehas husband Ankit Dalal has gone missing after the cruise liner Royal Caribbean Cruise docked in Miami,USA.
The 23-year-olds family in Gurgaon has lodged a complaint against her husband and in-laws,accusing them of harassing Neha for dowry,which,they claim,eventually led her to take the extreme step.
Nehas cousin Atul Ahlawat today claimed the Dalal family knows Ankits whereabouts: Whenever we asked them when Ankit would return,they would tell us he was on his way to India.
Subscriber Only Stories
If he manages to escape from there,he might go scot-free.
Dalal worked as a manager with the luxury liner; Neha,too,had taken up work in the ship last month. She jumped off the ships 12th deck on New Years Eve when the ship was near the Bahamas,as per the liners footage.
Her family claims Neha had complained of physical torture by her husband in an e-mail sent to her brother hours before she allegedly jumped off.
Gurgaon Police Commissioner S S Deswal today said the case might get transferred to the state investigation bureau soon. He also said the Gurgaon police,after registering a case of dowry harassment against the Dalals at Sector 17/18 police station,are yet to interrogate the family Ankits father and Gurgaon Civil Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr S S Dalal,his mother and sister.
Asked why the family has not been interrogated yet,Deswal said the police are waiting for evidence and statements from the Chhikaras. We have constituted a team to look into the matter, Deswal said. The investigating officer visited the Chhikaras Sector-17 house in the last couple of days to take statements from the family but it seems they are yet to come to terms with the incident.
But Nehas brother Anuj Chhikara said the family members gave statements to the police each time they came to the house.
Nehas cousin Atul Ahlawat,who is an advocate,claimed the polices delaying tactics might force the family to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh.
Meanwhile,Gurgaon Primary Medical Officer Dr Khazan Singh said Dr Dalal has gone on leave till January 15,and deputy CMO Dr Vijay Singhal is in charge at present.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.