Missing trader found living at UP Gate farmers' protest site

Noida/Ghaziabad: A Ghaziabad-based trader, who had been missing from his home for past 16 days, has been rescued by police from UP Gate farmers' protest site on Thursday night. Police said that the trader was debt-ridden and he left home to kill himself, however, he reached at the UP Gate in search of food and became part of the protest.

According to police, Praveen Kumar, a resident of Shankar Vihar Colony in Muradnagar area deals in wholesale supply of home decor items. On December 1, Kumar left house in his car but didn't return back while his phone also went switched off. His family made a missing compliant with police on December 13 and police started searching for him.

"Following the missing compliant filed by Kumar's wife, police started looking for him in and around the areas in Ghaziabad but failed to trace him. His family told the police that even few months before, he had left his house when he was unable to pay money which he had borrowed from his friends but returned after a week so they thought they he would return back this time also," said Amit Kumar, SHO of Muradnagar Police station.

"Police kept on tracing his mobile location and on Thursday when he switched on his mobile phone, his location showed up near UP Gate. A team was immediately sent to the spot and he along with his car was rescued from the group of farmers that had gathered at UP Gate for protest," the SHO added.

The officer further said that Kumar thought of killing himself under financial crisis and left his home.

"During the interrogation, he told police that his business was badly affected due to lockdown and he was even unable to pay his house rent. However, he could not gather enough courage to take such an extreme step but chose not to return home anyhow.

Later, he came to know that some farmers had gathered at the UP Gate and there were also arrangements of food there. He decided to join them in the protest to get food and shelter," said the SHO.

Meanwhile on Friday, the Chilla border however remained closed but only had a few farmers as part of the protest.