Kozhikode: Vishnu, the soldier who went missing en route to his hometown Kozhikode, was traced in Bengaluru on the night of December 31 by Elathur Police.
A native of Eranjikkal, Vishnu went missing on December 17, 2024, during his homeward journey from the Army Sports Institute in Pune. Serving in the Army for nine years, Vishnu went to Pune from Assam as part of a one-and-a-half-year-long training module. He was reportedly a little perturbed mentally and availed leave to visit home.
On December 16, he called his mother to inform her that he was coming home on leave. On the 17th, he sent a WhatsApp message confirming his arrival in Kannur. But when he did not reach home even at night and went incommunicado, the family filed a missing complaint with the police.
During investigation, his last location was detected as Lonavala in Pune through mobile network tracking. The four-member investigating team reached Pune in the trail of him and finally, the CCTV footage led them to Bengaluru.
The team, led by Elathur sub-inspector Ziya Mohammed, pinned him down. On December 22, Mohammed, Senior Civil Police Officer (SCPO) Atul Kumar and Civil Police Officer (CPO) Vysakh boarded a train to Pune in search of Vishnu. The search continued for four days in Pune following a three-day stay in Mumbai. The only lead they had with them was CCTV footage.
"We spent a lot of time walking and in the taxi. We checked the cameras along the way. After getting clues, we realised that nothing had happened to Vishnu. More than 450 CCTVs were checked," Mohammed said.
Though some of his friends tipped off the police about his possible location in Bengaluru, it was a withdrawal of Rs 25,000 from an ATM kiosk near the Majestic Railway Station in Bengaluru that proved a crucial lead in tracking Vishnu down. Anticipating the credit of salary on December 31, the police constantly monitored his bank transactions and after spotting the withdrawal, the team headed to Bengaluru and conducted searches at several residential areas in the vicinity of the ATM. A close examination of the CCTV footage finally located Vishnu near the railway station. He reached Bengaluru from Mysore a couple of days back.
Police said Vishnu's parents came to receive him at Elathur station after formalities were completed. The entire staff wished Vishnu, who is getting hitched on January 11, a happy married life. After being traced, Vishnu said he was strained by financial difficulties which forced him to leave home.
Vishnu said he sent the voice message in WhatsApp from Maharashtra thinking that his mother should not worry. From Pune, he headed to Mysore instead of returning to Kozhikode. He was reportedly troubled by the mounting debts in his hometown and was also paying off loans from his salary. "When I was in great difficulty, I left. After that, I did not know anything that happened in my hometown," Vishnu told the police.
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