By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 11 May: The mystery surrounding the disappearance of newly-wed Pragya Singh from a train near Laksar railway station on the night of 5 May has been partially solved, as the Haridwar police have finally traced her in Begusarai, Bihar. The Police officials have confirmed that she was found safe and the officials claim that she had left the train and disappeared of her own accord even as her husband Manish was sleeping. The reasons behind her sudden departure will be known only after her statement is recorded. The preparations are underway to hand her over to her family.
Pragya Singh, 29, a resident of Kanpur who had recently married, was travelling with her husband from Kedarnath to Ghaziabad by the Nanda Devi Express when she went missing around 10.30 p.m. near Muzaffarnagar. Her location was last traced to the Laksar area, prompting her family to lodge a missing complaint at Laksar police station. It may be recalled that the incident had sparked a lot of speculation and intense search efforts, with relatives also joining in. Her brother had told police that the couple had boarded the train from Dehradun and had remained awake until Haridwar, after which her husband fell asleep. When he woke near Muzaffarnagar, he found his wife missing, and despite searching the entire train, she could not be found.
Yesterday, however, the Haridwar police succeeded in locating her in Begusarai. SSP, Haridwar, Navneet Singh Bhullar stated that she was safe and had spoken to her mother over the phone. She will be brought back to Laksar and her statement recorded. Initial questioning suggests she left of her own will, though the reasons remain unclear until her deposition.
The case has drawn wide attention on social media, with claims that CCTV cameras at Laksar station were not functioning, though the train itself passes the station without halting. Despite the speculation, police have now resolved the mystery by tracing Pragya Singh to Bihar and ensuring her safety.
