Mystery shrouds over death of a 31-year-old bank manager of Baliapal area who was missing for a few days before his body was found in a forest in Himachal Pradesh on May 19.
He was identified as Sabik lohar, assistant manager of UCO Bank, Baliapal branch. lohar was missing since May 15 and his mother, Bimla lahor, had lodged a missing report with the Baliapal police on May 17. His body was found hanging from a tree.
“His bank identity card and Aadhaar card were found from his pocket during seizure of the body. The Himachal Pradesh police sent those documents in Whatsapp to us along with the photograph of the body. It was established that he was lohar,” said Baliapal police station IIC Khyamasagar Panda.
The HP police registered a case of unnatural death after the body was found. The body has been handed over to his family after postmortem and prima facie it looks to be a case of suicide, the IIC said, adding that lohar might have committed suicide out of his problem in a love affair.
lohar had joined the bank about three months ago and was residing in a rented house near to his branch in Baliapal. On May 15 morning, he had handed over the keys of the bank to a peon of the branch.
Baliapal UCO Bank BM Baidhar Hembram said lohar was a scale II officer. “He was sincere in his job but he used to speak someone in his phone most of the leisure time. He was cordial with the other staff of the bank and not reserve too, Hembram said.
According to police, lohar after handing over the keys of the bank went out in his Honda Shine bike bearing registration number OR-02BX3507. He had withdrawn a cash of Rs 3,000 from an ATM of UCO Bank in Baliapal at 10.48 am, the CCTV footage revealed. Some people saw him near Jamsuli and Gandhi Chhak the last time but since then there was no trace of him. The bike is yet to be traced, said police.
Searches were made in all railway stations and bus stands but the bike couldn’t be traced.
On May 18 morning, lohar checked his balance in an ATM counter under Mcleod Ganj police station in HP, which was known when his branch inquired his account.
Soon the Baliapal police station immediately intimated to their counterparts at Mcleod Ganj. Although the Mcleod Ganj police made efforts to trace him yet they failed, said police.
“All the hotels and lodges near the ATM counter were searched but he was not found. Subsequently, the body was found in a forest,” said IIC Panda.
lohar, a resident of Salua, Kharagpur, was only son of his parents .
His father, Babudhan lahor is serving in 3rd Battalion as lance Naik, said police. Further, he was having hardly any money in his account. When he left he was having only around Rs 3,750 before withdrawal. It is also mystery as to what he was doing with his salary as he was getting over Rs 50,000 per month, said police.