While the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the case of missing student Jesna Maria James is yet to make any headway, state police chief Loknath Behera has declared a reward of Rs 2,00,000 for those who can share any information on her.
DySP Thiruvalla R Chandrasekharan Pillai who is part of the SIT confirmed to TNM that the reward has been announced. “We are still analysing whatever information we have, but not yet traced any details that could be cited as helpful in fact-finding,” he said.
A few days ago, the photograph of a girl along with a young man in Bengaluru had appeared with reports claiming it to be Jesna, but her family refuted the reports.
Members of the SIT had reached Bengaluru on Wednesday based on information that Jesna was seen in the city.
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A security guard at a hostel in Bengaluru reportedly said that Jesna visited the place along with her friend.
20-year-old Jesna, who is a second-year degree student at St. Thomas College Kanjirappally, left home on March 22 and has been missing ever since. She, along with her father and brother, lived at Vechuchira, Mukkuttuthara near Erumeli in Pathanamthitta district. She was last seen by the local people at Mukkuttuthara bus stop. Relatives said that she had called up her aunt who is living at Punchavayal to inform her that she was coming to her home but subsequently vanished without a trace.
Jesna’s mother Sancy died eight months ago due to illness. She was living in the house with her father James Joseph and elder brother Jaice John James. Jaice, an engineering student had gone to college on the day Jesna went missing, while James was away at work.
Initially, Vechuchira police were investigating the case and later SIT was formed on Monday to conduct the probe.