Srinagar, June 11, KNT: Police have called four friends of a missing PhD scholar from Srinagar for questioning in connection with his disappearance during a trekking trip in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
The move comes following repeated requests from the family of the missing scholar seeking further investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The scholar, identified as Hilal Ahmad Dar, a resident of Bemina in Srinagar, went missing on June 13, 2020 during a trek to the high-altitude Naranag area in Ganderbal district.
According to reports, Dar had gone on the trekking trip along with four friends. While the four companions returned home the same evening, Dar did not return, prompting concern among his family members.
Police sources told KNT that the four friends were called to Police Station Kangan for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
The sources said that narco-analysis tests are planned to be conducted on the four individuals to gather further information regarding the disappearance of the scholar.
According to officials, the tests will be carried out in the western state of Gujarat.
Narco-analysis involves administering certain drugs intravenously to induce a semi-conscious state during which investigators attempt to obtain information from the subject.
A senior police official from the district confirmed that arrangements are being made to take the four individuals to Gujarat for the tests.
“Most probably, a police team will leave for Gujarat tomorrow along with the four persons where they will undergo narco-analysis tests,” the official told KNT.
Family members of the missing scholar have staged several protests in the past demanding that authorities intensify efforts to trace Dar and determine what happened during the trekking trip. [KNT]
