Srinagar: A poster allegedly put up by Maoists at Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda bus stand stating that the Kashmiri student Suhail Aijaz who was perusing MBBS at AIIMS Bhubaneshwar is in their custody, has been termed as a mere ‘hoax’.

The poster was put up on the wall under a flyover with a message demanding the government to release top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, who is currently lodged in jail, in seven days or else the Kashmiri student studying at Bhubaneswar AIIMS Suhail Aijaz, will be killed.

Poster, written in Oriya also threatened explosions at the Bhubaneswar railway station and police stations on March 11 if their demand was not met as soon as possible.

However, sources in Odisha media while terming the poster as mere ‘hoax’ said that there is no truth in the poster and somebody was trying to create confusion.

“The poster that has been put up stating that Suhail has been abducted by them and in return want the release of their leader Sabyasachi Panda has got no validity,” sources in Odisha media said.

There are numerous Maoists group working here, and the poster that has been put up regarding Suhail seems to be put up by a different group that has got nothing to do with Sabyasachi Panda, sources added.

While quoting state Police regarding the development in tracing Suhail down, sources said “So far the Police have rejected the claims of Maoists that Suhail has been abducted by them, however, they are  trying to trace him down,” sources informed.

Giving more insights about the case, sources said that as per state police, Suhail is not even in the state. While informing that as per state police the last location of Suhail’s mobile phone, where it went off the radar was Kharakpur—an industrial city in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal.

“As per Police, the last location of Suhail’s mobile phone shows Kharakhpur, which nullifies the claims of Maoists that they have abducted him (Suhail),” sources privy to the case said.

Further, as per sources Sabyasachi Panda belongs to the group of Maoists that is only operational in Oddisha, “which again adds to the fact that he has not been abducted by Maoists, and somebody is trying to create confusion” sources said, adding “it can be termed as nothing but a mere hoax.”

Sources also said that in this scenario Sabyasachi Panda’s wife Subhashree alias Mili Panda’s statement has also added weight to the fact that Suhail has not been abducted by Maoists.

She, sources said, has refused any Maoist role behind putting up the poster at Baramunda bus stand.

“He (Panda) is facing trial and legal process in a series of cases, it is out of question that that his supporters will do such a thing,” Sources said while quoting Panda’s wife, adding  “My husband was never associated with the banned CPI (Maoist), which has allegedly put up the poster on wall under flyover at Baramunda.”

Pertinently, 19-year-old Suhail, hailing from Kupwara district was perusing MBBS at the AIIMS Bhubaneshwar since 2016, left his hostel on February 9 and is missing since then.

Suhail had left his hostel on February 9, informing his friends that he was leaving for a wedding ceremony in Chandigarh and would return in a week.

His father Aijaz Ahmed Kataria, who is in Bhubaneshwar said the police should take this matter seriously and make proper investigation.

“He said he would be traveling through Kolkata. But as he did not return even after nine days, his classmates informed the college authorities,” he said.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman in Srinagar said that the news item appearing in some social media network titled “Maoists abducted Kashmiri student  of AIIMS Bhubaneswar” is not based on facts as there is no substantial corroborative evidence. 

“The news is reportedly based on only a handwritten poster pasted on the wall of Baramunda Bus Stand Bhubaneswar. SSP Kupwara said that he is in continuous contact with the concerned Police authorities and today he spoke to DCP Bhubaneswar Mr. Satiabrata about the veracity of the contents of the poster. The DCP Bhubaneswar has told him that the poster seems to be pasted by some unscrupulous elements being hand written just to deflect the investigation process,” the spokesman said.

He said that the DCP also said that today the DGP Odisha had convened a meeting with senior officers to review the progress of the case. DCP further informed that the search of the missing boy is going-on vigorously and they are investigating the matter from all angles, besides they have also sensitized other adjoining states about the missing of the boy.

Guest