Forty nine days after Kerala student Jesna Maria James went missing on her way to her aunt's house in Kottayam, the Kerala police believe that they have found a lead in the case – a tip off that the young woman was seen in Bengaluru. According to Jesna's sister Jeffy, some news channels have shown a photograph of a woman and a man, claiming that the woman in the photo is Jesna, who was seen with a male friend in Bengaluru.
Members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), that was formed on Monday to probe the mysterious disappearance of the 20-year-old student from Pathanamthitta, reached Bengaluru on Wednesday based on information that Jesna was seen in the city. Another three teams are probing in Kerala and other neighbouring states for any leads.
"We got information yesterday that Jesna was seen in Bengaluru and our team has gone there to verify it. A team of cyber experts are also there in the SIT now," the Pathanamthitta SP told TNM.
While media reports stated that the security guard at a hostel in Bengaluru said that Jesna had visited the place along with a friend, the police have not verified this.
"There is so much information floating around that she was seen with a male friend. At this point, we cannot confirm any of that. We are in the process of verifying it. It is also not clear when Jesna was seen in the city," the SP said.
Meanwhile, MP Anto Antony told media channels in Kerala that Jesna went to Ashwasa Bhawan in Madiwala, along with a male friend.
"After getting this information, I asked her family to send me an original photo. In the photo, she is wearing a white scarf... he (security guard) said that the woman who went to Ashwasa Bhawan was wearing this same scarf. She also had braces on her teeth," the MP said.
Some reports also claimed that Jesna's family has started to Bengaluru, after this information came up.
She said: "We have not gone anywhere. Only if we get confirmation that it is her, we will go. Media channels are showing a photo of a girl with a guy, saying that it is Jesna. But it is not. That photograph is of another girl in Thiruvalla. This scarf that they are saying Jesna wore when she went to this place in Bengaluru...that is false. That scarf is with me now.”
Jesna, a B.Com student, went missing on March 22. On March 21, Jesna had told her aunt Sisily that she would be visiting her the next day. But Jesna did not make it – she simply vanished.