Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Saturday directed the Commissioner of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace Suraj Lama, who went missing after arriving in Kochi from Kuwait on October 5.

The directive came from a Division Bench comprising Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M B Snehalatha while considering a habeas corpus petition filed by Lama’s son, Santon Lama.

During the hearing, the Bench orally emphasised the urgency of the investigation. “We have to trace him out—come what may. We want full details through the embassy now,” the court said.

Appearing for the Centre, Advocate S Krishna, representing the Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI), informed the court that Lama was reportedly deported to India on an emergency certificate, possibly due to the loss of his passport or other deportation-related reasons. She sought a week’s time to submit complete details.
The government pleader told the court that despite extensive efforts, the missing person could not yet be traced.

According to the petition, Suraj Lama, who had been engaged in the hotel business in Kuwait for several decades, was hospitalised there due to alcohol poisoning. His friends informed his family that he was suffering from partial memory loss and speech impairment. Later, he was reportedly moved to a deportation centre in Kuwait.

On October 7, one of his friends sent a photograph of an air ticket—allegedly retrieved from a security guard’s phone—showing Lama’s travel from Kuwait to Kochi on October 5. Acting on this, Santon and his mother travelled to Kochi and filed a missing person complaint at the Nedumbassery Police Station near Cochin International Airport (CIAL).

They later received unconfirmed reports of Lama being sighted in several parts of Kochi but were unable to locate him. The family also approached the media and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) for assistance, and later made representations to the Commissioner of Police. With no progress, the family finally approached the High Court seeking a time-bound investigation.
The petition was filed through Advocate Parvathi Menon.

(With LiveLaw inputs)