Mystery shrouds jawan’s disappearance

GURGAON, Feb 7: Mystery surrounds the disappearance of Shyam Kumar, a Havaldar clerk in the Indian Army, who has been reported missing si...

GURGAON, Feb 7: Mystery surrounds the disappearance of Shyam Kumar, a Havaldar clerk in the Indian Army, who has been reported missing since August 1997. While the Army has declared him a deserter, his family laments that no Court of Inquiry has been ordered regarding his disappearance.

Shyam Kumar was posted at sub area headquarters in Pune. During June 1997, he came on leave to his native village Dighal, in Jhajjar district. As he was supposed to report on duty on August 4, Shyam reached Pune two days in advance, on August 2. He was missing thereafter. The local police, on the night of August 2, deposited his suitcase with his unit saying some woman had handed it over to them.

His father-in-law, Ravi Datt Dahiya said,“the police could not give any satisfactory explanation. They didn’t even bother to trace him out despite the filing of a missing person report with the Farash Khana police station in Pune.” Dahiya added that Shyam had made a call from Pune to his sister in Delhi and since then no one had a clue to his whereabouts.

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The Army unit at Pune later informed his wife Harmila that her husband had not joined duty on the due date and was absent without leave.

“Since then, we have been running from pillar to post. It has been a traumatic experience as neither the Army, nor the police, helped us. And rubbing salt on our wounds, they have declared him a deserter without even conducting an inquiry,” says Ravi Datt Dahiya.

On October 31, 1998, the Sena Seva Corps Abhilekh (PURT) ASC records, Bangalore intimated them that since HAV/cl.

Shyam Kumar had been declared a deserter, he was not eligible for pay and allowances, including pension. However, credit balance of the individual may be paid to the next of kin on receipt of an application from her regarding the whereabouts of her husband, this intimation said.

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