A 43-year-old doctor-real estate developer, who also owns a nursing home in Kanpur, allegedly went missing from a hotel at Paharganj in Central Delhi. He had come to Delhi from Kanpur to file a writ petition in Supreme Court on a swathe of land in Kanpur valued over Rs 100 crore. A rival property dealer too was eyeing the same tract of land, sources informed. Dr Shakti Bhargava had also reportedly purchased land in Chunni Ganj and Macrobert Ganj area of Kanpur.
The matter came to light when the wife of the missing man, Shikha, filed a complaint with the police on Thursday evening. In her complaint, she told police that she was unable to contact her husband who had come to Delhi on July 15. According to police, Bhargava is the owner of Kanpur-based Bhargava Nursing Home in Bada Chauraha area and is also a qualified physician based in Kanpur’s upscale Civil lines.
Police said Bhargava had filed a writ petition in Allahabad High Court, which was dismissed. He came to Delhi to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. He had boarded the Shram Shakti Express on July 14.
“He had checked into Room 215 at Hotel White Empire in Paharganj on July 15 and stayed indoors most of the time. He also had dinner at the hotel restaurant. On July 16 morning, Dr Bhargava left the hotel premises at 6.15 am after breakfast and since then his wife has not been able to contact him,” said a senior police office.
Dr Bhargava’s wife, who also is a doctor by profession, came to Delhi along with some family members to file a missing person’s report. According to police, Bhargava’s three mobile phones were switched off since July 16, which triggered panic among his family members.
Nabi Karim police station at Paharganj filed a case of abduction and initiated an investigation into his wife’s claim. A police officer close to the investigation said Bhargava was party to litigation in a Kanpur court. “It is too early to say whether his disappearance has anything to do with the court case. We are, however, investigating all possible angles,” said the officer. The officer further said the CCTV footage of the hotel is currently being checked for clues. The hotel staff was also grilled following police complaint.