SHILLONG: A man who went missing eight years ago from a city locality was traced in Bengaluru recently, giving relief to the family and friends.
Pramod Kumar Jalewa (58), a bachelor, left home in Wahthapbru locality on March 28, 2008, and did not come back. The family said Pramod was mentally disturbed.
Pramod’s relatives searched for him frantically for a long time. Later, an FIR was filed with the nearest police station and his family followed up the matter with the police frequently.
Dipak Jalewa, Pramod’s cousin, told The Shillong Times that all these years, they searched for him in the neighbouring states, including Assam and West Bengal, but in vain. “There was a time when we lost all hope and we even requested the police to file the final report in the case,” Dipak said.
The family got the ‘providential clues’ about Pramod’s whereabouts in August when a letter from State Bank of India regarding his account reached the house. The bank statement referred to withdrawal of money from Pramod’s account in Bengaluru.
On further query to SBI Shillong, the family came to know that Pramod’s account was transferred to Malleswaram branch of Bengaluru and subsequently the family informed the police here about the development.
The Shillong police contacted their counterparts in Bengaluru and gathered more information about Pramod, who was confirmed to be residing there. Two of Pramod’s nephews, Subham and Dipak, decided to go to Bengaluru to meet Pramod.
The duo then contacted Bangalore police and went to Nagappa block where Pramod was staying. But they could not meet him on the first day as he had already left for work in Malleswaram. “We showed his photo to the neighbours and they immediately recognised the person and said he would come back in the evening,” Dipak said.
The residents also informed the cousins that Pramod had a small business in Malleswaram and that he had been residing in the Jalahalli area of the city before shifting to Nagappa block.
Finally, the cousins met Pramod at his work place in Malleswaram and the duo conveyed to him how happy the family was to know about him after eight years.
Pramod told them that after leaving Shillong, he visited Mathura and the adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh before finally reaching Bengaluru. The cousins stayed with Pramod for at least five days and convinced him to come back to Shillong.
“He did not want to come to Shillong immediately though he assured us that he would return,” Dipak said.
Dipak said he wanted to share the tidings about tracing Pramod as this would kindle hope for those families in the State who are pessimistic about the return of their near and dear ones who are missing for long.
