Police say investigation ongoing
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 12 Aug: The family of missing dentist Dr Debanjib Sharmah, who disappeared from Tulow Resort in Wakro in Lohit district on 31 May, said it has been informed by the Arunachal Pradesh Police that the DNA extracted from a skeleton found in the Lohit river does not match Dr Sharmah’s.
“The result, conveyed over phone today (Tuesday), confirms what the family had always maintained – it was highly improbable that Dr Sharmah would go near the treacherous river, given his cautious nature and safety record,” the family said in a press release.
Despite the formation of a special investigation team and assurances of a ‘360-degree probe’, the case is now effectively back to square one 74 days after his disappearance, the family said.
“The negative DNA result gives me faint hope that my son might still be alive, but it is heartbreaking to see how this case has been handled. For nearly two months after the skeleton was found, the police only focused on matching it to my son. DNA tests do not take this long – so why did ours? And if this was not him, what was the alternative plan? We believe there was none,” said Pranati Sharmah (82), mother of Dr Sharmah.
The family has alleged that active investigation into other leads was halted for nearly two months, raising fears that crucial evidence may have been lost.
“How can a person vanish into thin air without his phone, wallet, bike, or even proper shoes – all left at the hotel and later recovered by the police? The drowning theory, which we refuted from day 1, now stands unsubstantiated,” said a family source.
“Our repeated appeals for intervention to the chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as well as other political leaders, have gone unanswered,” the source said.
“This is a case of sham investigation and a shocking lack of sensitivity towards a human life. But we will not give up,” added another family member.
Meanwhile, Lohit SP Thutan Jamba, speaking to this daily, confirmed that the DNA doesn’t match with the samples collected from the family members of the missing person. However, he added that the investigation is still on.
“Investigation was never halted. It’s an ongoing process which will be closed only after conclusive evidence of any outcome,” he said.
Regarding the family’s allegation of delay in getting the DNA test report, he said the police made every effort to get it at the earliest.
“DNA report was obtained upon my repeated requests to the FSL. However, every angle of the case is being looked at and acted upon during the investigation,” the SP added.
