4 days on, Armyman remains untraceable

Army Captain Shikhar Deep, who went missing during a train journey from Bihar to Delhi four days ago, remained untraceable even on Thursday. The Army and various other forces have launced a massive hunt to trace him.

The search operation to trace the officer posted in J&K is being carried out jointly by the Army, Bihar Police, Railway Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the Kanpur-Katihar-Delhi section, said a Defence spokesman.

An FIR has been lodged and the Army is expected to order a Court of Inquiry as criminal as well as accident angle cannot be ruled out.

“A search and investigation by the state police, NIA, IB, Railway Police and Army authorities is going on. It is intensified,” the spokesman said.

Deep (25), son of Lt Col Anant Kumar and hailing from Purnia district in Bihar, went missing while he was travelling by Mahananda Express from Kathihar in Bihar to Delhi on the night of February 6-7. He was returning to duty after a 30-day annual leave. 

The spokesperson said Deep was wearing black and brown blazer, off-white T-shirt, blue jeans, green jungle shoes. The officer was travelling on a reserved berth in the train, he added. Deep had last contacted his relatives on February 7.

The officer’s luggage has been traced by the Railway and Army authorities in Delhi and nothing except for cash from his wallet is missing, the spokesman added. 

The officer’s unit has initiated numerous steps to locate him.