Kochi: A Circle Inspector of Police, who went missing after a spat with his superior last week, is heaving a sigh of relief on reaching home from Tamil Nadu after keeping his family and Kerala Police on the edge for over two days.
“I was walking a tightrope between life and suicide the day I left my home,” V S Navas, the cop, admitted. “What brought me back to life was the two-day journey and a meeting with my former teacher who lives in Ramanathapuram,” Navas told Onmanorama.
Navas, who was found in a town in Tamil Nadu the past weekend, left from his home on June 13 morning as he was under stress and also upset after an ugly spat with his superior. He was traced to Tamil Nadu's Karur on Saturday early morning and brought back home.
"I set out not knowing where I was going. There was a possibility of suicide. To reduce mental pressure, I had no other way than to undertake a journey. I neither consume alcohol nor take any psychotropic substances. The journey and loneliness helped me change my mind. Both the days, I had eaten only once," he said.
"After sending a WhatsApp message to my wife I switched off my mobile phone. I took a bus from Ernakulam to Kayamkulam, got down at Cherthala and went with a friend to Kayamkulam by car."
"From there I reached Punalur by bus. And, then Madurai. I took a room and rested. Later, I reached Ramanathapuram, where I met Rajasekharan, who taught me English in college. I had a long-standing friendship with him. I spoke to him for about three hours. It gave me energy and zeal. I then decided not to commit suicide."
"Meanwhile, I read newspaper reports about me. Inside the room in a lodge in Ramanathapuram, I thought about my elderly mother, wife and kids. Finally, I decided to return."
"From the lodge manager's phone, I called up a relative in Kochi and asked him to meet my wife in person and console her. I told him I will return by Saturday or Sunday. I was planning to reach Aluva via Coimbatore and appear before a court. I reached Madurai by train and from there I sought the help of RPF personnel to get a seat in a train to Coimbatore."
"I introduced myself as an inspector in Kerala Police. In fact, I gave my official designation at the places I stayed. I took the Nagercoil-Coimbatore Express. There was a disabled person and 14 others along with me in the coach reserved for disabled."
“At Karur station, three railway police personnel came and asked me to alight there. Initially, I thought it was because I was travelling in a coach reserved for the disabled. Despite I telling them that I have informed RPF and the TT, they insisted that I get down. When I refused, they forcibly brought me out; this led to a small fight too."
"Later I became friends with them. Since I felt a little uneasy, I took ECG at Karur. By then, police personnel arrived from Palakkad."
"City assistant commissioner P S Suresh called me on Saturday and expressed regret over the wireless spat," he said.
However, Navas continued to remain mum on the reasons that led to his vanishing act. His wife had complained to the chief minister that Navas went missing due to mental torture by his superior.
"I am thankful for everybody's help and support. I will strive to work hard for society; I will return more than what I get from society," Navas said.
