Jharsuguda: For 60-year-old Shiv Kumar Jha, life has turned into a relentless pursuit of his missing son. What should have been a peaceful phase of his life has instead become an agonizing journey across states, police stations, and jails—desperately seeking any clue about his only son’s whereabouts.
Jha, a resident of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has been searching for his 25-year-old son, Bhavesh Kumar Jha, who mysteriously disappeared two years ago. Along with his wife Ful Devi (52) and daughter, he has left no stone unturned, visiting police stations and various places in a desperate attempt to find his son.
Now, fearing that Bhavesh may have been wrongfully arrested for a minor offence, the grief-stricken father has expanded his search to jails across Odisha, hoping for a glimpse of his child or any hint about his fate. He reached Jharsuguda Jail on Wednesday to search but could not get any information.
Bhavesh had been working at a factory in Raigarh and on February 20, 2023, he had gone to Raigarh from Raipur and told that he would go to Visakhapatnam. On 22nd February he spoke to his mother and after that, his mobile was switched off and since then he has been missing.
“It’s been two years, and my son is still missing. Something went wrong, but I don’t know what. Ten days after his disappearance, I filed a missing person report at the Punjipathara police station in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh on March 10, 2023. Since then, I have visited multiple police stations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, but there has been no information. His phone was last active in Bhubaneswar before it was switched off. I waited for his call, but when it never came, In Jharsuguda, I visited Jharsuguda Jail but could not get any Information about my son,” said Jha.
Jha has travelled extensively, searching steel plant areas in Chhattisgarh and Odisha—from Berhampur to Jajpur, Angul, Rourkela, Sambalpur, and Brajrajnagar—believing his son might have been caught in a system that often wrongfully arrests innocent youths. He has even visited Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) offices to verify unidentified bodies.
“I have lost faith in the government and the system. The authorities make promises, but I am living proof of their failure. I have run from pillar to post, receiving nothing but empty assurances. But until my last breath, I will search for my son,” he said, his voice filled with despair.
“The last call he made to me was to ask for money, but after that, I never heard from him again,” said his weeping mother, Ful Devi. “My only prayer to God is to bring my son back.”
Bhavesh’s sister, Pooja Jha, who had to discontinue her studies to join the search, remains hopeful. “He was the sole breadwinner of our family. Because of him, I could study, but now my education has stopped. Still, I believe my brother will return one day.”
Despite their relentless efforts, the family continues to battle uncertainty, clinging to hope as they navigate an agonizing and seemingly endless search.
