Six years after son went missing, father running from pillar to post

NEW DELHI: Zakirul Haq has repeatedly been travelling between Bihar's Darbhanga to Delhi in search of his son, who went missing in July 2011.

Since then, Haq has been running from pillar to post in search of clues about Shamshad's whereabouts, who was then 13 years old.

"My son would be 19 now, if he is alive. I have not heard any news about him. All I want Delhi Police is to search my son," said Zakirul Haq.

Six years ago, Haq sent his son Shamshad to Delhi along with his neighbour Kamaal – who worked in a bag repairing unit in Paharganj – after Kamaal promised a better future for his son.

"For four months, we kept receiving calls from Kamaal's phone. But suddenly, one of my neighbours told me that Shamshad had gone missing. I called Kamaal and he too confirmed," Haq told Millennium Post.

Haq, who works as a cycle mechanic, immediately reached Delhi and lodged a police complaint.

"Earlier, police from Paharganj police station had called me, but later I lost my mobile. I also had an accident and was not able to move. My wife asked me to pursue the search again and I came to Delhi." he said.

When he visited the police station on Sunday, he came to know that the investigating officer who was looking after the case has been transferred.

When Millennium Post contacted the then IO of the case, he replied that he did all that he could be done locate the child, but was not lucky.

"We searched the boy even at temples and mosques at railway stations, but could not find him. We also interrogated the man who brought him to Delhi but nothing yielded out," said the police officer, who wished to remain anonymous.