A Kozhikode native, who left home eight months ago and was considered killed by a gang of gold smugglers, has reunited with his family.
Deepak, who hails from Meppayur, was living in Goa when he was tracked down. He told the Crime Branch that he intended to remain free of responsibilities since leaving home on June 7, 2022.
Deepak's family had filed a writ of Habeas Corpus after he went missing. On Friday, he was produced before the High Court of Kerala via videoconferencing and allowed to go with his family.
Deepak told the Crime Branch that he went to Mangalore and then to Goa. Later, he toured Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal and Chandigarh before returning to Goa. He told the Crime Branch that he worked in a hotel.
Mystery remains
Deepak's missing case became complicated after it was mysteriously connected to the kidnapping of Irshad, a native of Panthirikkara.
A body retrieved from the Kadaloor River on July 17 was mistaken to be Deepak's and cremated.
His family found hope when the DNA results arrived. It revealed that the deceased was not Deepak. It was Irshad, another Kozhikode youth, who had been kidnapped by gold smugglers.
But Irshad's death remains a mystery too because the members of the gold smuggling gang, who were arrested a day before the body was found, said Irshad had jumped into the river, a claim his family refutes.
According to Manorama News, the Crime Branch quizzed Deepak to know if his disappearance was in any way connected to the death of Irshad. It emerges, Deepak's statements have no reference to Irshad.
CBI enquiry demanded
While Deepak's family has found closure with his return, the dear ones of Irshad remain in its search.
PK Nassar, the father of Irshad, has now demanded a CBI enquiry. "It has been more than 6 months and we have not got an answer yet," Nassar told media persons.
