Ranni: The shadow wing of the Pathanamthitta district police chief has arrived in Bengaluru after the reported sighting of a girl resembling missing college student Jesna Maria James.
Someone had informed the police that the girl was seen alighting from a Metro train on Saturday evening. A police team that was searching for her in Mangaluru was then sent to the state capital.
CCTV visuals on the train showed a Jesna look-alike, wearing a churidar and specs, alighting from the train. The police are seeking detailed examination of the visuals inside the train, in a bid to obtain a clear picture. The visuals have to be checked and confirmed by Jesna's family too.
The police have completed investigation in Kodagu, Madikkeri, Mangaluru, Kollur and Kuntapura. The search was carried out on the basis of information gathered from phone calls. Nothing suspicious was found, however.
Jesna went missing on March 22 as she supposedly travelled from her home in Mukkoottuthara to her aunt's place in Punchavayal in the High Range.
Probe on information-seekers
The Kerala High Court has ordered a probe about a number of people who had approached the police for information on the Jesna case under the Right to Information Act. They had asked for details of the money spent on the search for the student, the number of policemen involved in the search in and outside Kerala, the places where she was sought etc.
The police had told the court about it when it was hearing the petition filed by Jesna's brother seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The court asked the police to find out what prompted them to make such enquiries.
DySP to retire
Thiruvalla DySP R. Chandrasekhara Pillai, who heads the Jesna case probe, is due to retire on July 31 even as the mystery remains unsolved. His departure has raised worry on the future of the probe.
Pillai had been heading the investigation for the past four months. He was the one who was keeping superior officers updated on the search inside and outside the state. The court had assessed that the probe had been progressing well though clues have not been obtained.
No evidence was available at the primary stage of the case. Later, a lot of evidence was gathered during the investigation. The police gathered them by collecting phone calls, CCTV visuals and WhatsApp messages.
The police have been claiming that they were examining every bits and pieces of information gathered.
All officers involved in the probe feel Jesna is alive. What remains to be found is whether Jesna left her home in a self-organised plan or whether she was forced away into an unknown place by someone.
Pillai is convinced that the girl in the visuals obtained from Mundakkayam is Jesna indeed. The conclusion is based on the fact that no other girl has come forward claiming to be the one in the visuals though it was published extensively in the media.
It is understood that R Sivasugathan Pillai will be the new DySP at Thiruvalla and could take over the case.
