Ankur Sharma, an Indian student from Auckland has been missing for almost a month now, as his family and friends took to Facebook and reached out to the community to help search for him.
As per the last bit of information Indian Weekender got, the 23-year-old student, from Jalandhar, Punjab, was last seen in Manurewa on the 9th of June. Ankur had come to New Zealand in 2012, to pursue a Diploma in Business Level 7 and had recently applied for a job search visa.
His sister Aditi Jasra, spoke exclusively to the Indian Weekender from Canada, and said that they had last heard from Ankur on the 1st of June. With their last conversation, Ankur was at a train station, on his way to a yoga class and he sounded busy, so he told her he would speak to them over the weekend.
“Ankur sounded like he was doing fine, he was in the middle of moving homes but mentioned he had applied for a new job,” said Ms Jasra. “My mum called me, she was concerned it had been 15 days, it was getting serious.” The family approached the police for help, and were informed that Ankur had been admitted to Middlemore hospital, with facial injuries and was released 24 hours after.
“Either he is really hurt from his head injuries, or there is something going on that we have no clue about,” said Ms Jasra. The family also contacted his friends in New Zealand, but all were unsure as to where Ankur might be. “There could be something fishy going on,” said Ms Jasra. She fears Ankur could have been taken captive, or had a fight with his friends. Otherwise he is living with a friend somewhere else.
“We are hoping the Punjabi and Indian community will help to ensure he is safe and healthy. And come forward with some news of him.” The police had told her Auckland is a big area and thus it could take some time to find Ankur. “They said they come across these cases all the time, and he is probably moving on with his life,” said Ms Jasra.
The police are asking Ankur to get in touch with his family directly, or anonymously. So they can at least “assure everyone, he is safe and well,” said Detective Grant Arrowsmith of Manurewa, CIB.
Ankur is described as being 168 – 173cm tall with a skinny build, also known to be wearing a leather jacket and stonewashed jeans. And he is believed to be in central Auckland.
Anyone with information that can help locate Ankur should contact the police, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.
The Facebook page link is: www.facebook.com/pages/Ankur-Sharma-Missing/540227609371582
Cold Case
Srikanth Rayadurgam, a 23-year-old went missing in 2009 and was never found. “The police need to realise that the first few days of an investigation are crucial,” says Rayadurgam’s brother-in-law Nagesh Kakanoor.
Although the police had conducted boat searches as well as hired divers, to look in the area Mr Rayadurgam had gone missing in, the investigation felt delayed according to Mr Kakanoor.
“But in our case, the police went on their gut feeling. However, they did agree to this, but if you lose that track, then you’ve lost the plot completely,” said Mr Kakanoor. It was only when friends and family conducted their own search that they came across some belongings such as his left shoe, bag, coat and wallet near Auckland Harbour.
But Mr Rayadurgam has still not been found and the family lives in hope that they will find him.