New Delhi: At around 8 pm on 6 June, Urmila Nikhar, a resident of Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, received an alarming call from the Border Security Force’s (BSF’s) subsidiary training centre in Gwalior.
They had called to enquire about the whereabouts of her daughter Akanksha Nikhar, who had been a trainer at the academy for more than three years.
The BSF officials asked if she had come home as she had not returned to the academy after leaving with her friend and colleague Shahana Khatoon, a native of West Bengal’s Murshidabad, that morning.
Nearly a month later, Akanksha and Shahana reported to work at the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier and recorded their statements before the Madhya Pradesh police. This came days after Urmila filed a police complaint against Shahana and her family, on the basis of which Gwalior police had registered a case of kidnapping, and marked the end of a wild goose chase by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to trace the duo.
BSF South Bengal Frontier headquarters spokesperson DIG A.K. Arya told ThePrint that both Akanksha and Shahana reported to the frontier headquarters on 8 July.
Akanksha has claimed to have left the academy due to family issues while Shahana accompanied her as they were close friends, said sources in the BSF.
While Shahana is a 2013-batch constable, Akanksha is a 2017-batch constable in the BSF, and both worked as instructors at the Gwalior academy.
Gwalior Superintendent of Police Dharmvir Singh told ThePrint that Akanksha’s statement does not substantiate the allegations made by her mother as she said she left the academy on her own will.
“They have joined duty at the Kolkata headquarters of the BSF. Our team probing the case has recorded their statements. No cognisable offence has been found as of now in police enquiry. There’s no criminal proceedings to be done from our end,” he added.
What happened
On 7 June, a BSF officer of the rank of inspector had filed a missing report regarding Akanksha Nikhar at Bilaua police station, ThePrint has learnt. BSF sources said this is “normal procedure” in case of personnel’s “absence without leave”.
But in the FIR lodged 5 July — seen by ThePrint — her mother Urmila alleged that Shahan along with her family had hatched a conspiracy against Akanksha.
The FIR was registered under section 365 (kidnapping with intention of wrongful confinement) and 368 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and corresponding sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
However, the version of BSF constable Akanksha, whose statement was recorded by the MP police’s SIT Thursday, contradicts her mother’s allegations.
Urmila alleged that she went to seek information about Akanksha’s whereabouts from Shahana’s family in Murshidabad, but they did not offer any help.
In her complaint, she said her daughter was traced to Delhi on 6 June evening, then Howrah around 4 pm the next day, then Berhampore around 11.30 pm.
Madhya Pradesh police officers privy to details of the case told ThePrint that the families of Akanksha and Shahana were aware of their friendship as both had been visiting each other’s homes for the past few months.
This was also confirmed by Urmila Nikhar’s statement that she knew about her daughter’s friendship since January 2023 and that Shahana had come to her house in Jabalpur in March this year.
Urmila also stated that Akanksha and Shahana said they were going to Shahana’s house in Murshidabad. They went to Murshidabad after staying four days in Jabalpur.
Akanksha’s elder brother Niraj Nikhar told ThePrint she had informed her mother about the plan to go to Murshidabad. “My mother asked me to tell her to return. I spoke to Shahana and asked her to come back. Meanwhile, my mother also went to BSF officials and complained about someone brainwashing Akanksha in the camp.”
SIT’s hunt in West Bengal
After the kidnapping case was lodged, the MP police constituted an SIT that went to West Bengal to trace Akanksha and Shahana.
MP police officers privy to the investigation told ThePrint that a five-member SIT was set up by the Gwalior SP to investigate the case.
However, the officers said, CCTV footage of the two indicated that Akanksha had left the academy and travelled to West Bengal of her own will, and never seemed distressed.
The SIT team had also reached out to the Murshidabad police, who enquired about Shahana’s whereabouts on the spot, but haven’t found any incriminating information, it is learnt.
But now that both have reported to work and recorded their statements, police officers told ThePrint that there is no cognisable offence anymore to probe and the case will be closed.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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