North Lakhimpur: A youth from Assam’s Lakhimpur district, travelling to Bengaluru by train, has been reported missing after allegedly going out of contact while the train was passing through Odisha. The missing person has been identified as Utpal Handique of Rongoti village under Dhalpur in Lakhimpur district. According to family members, Utpal boarded a train on January 2 from Tatibahar station, travelling to Bengaluru via Guwahati.
Utpal was reportedly heading to Bengaluru for an annual physical verification required by his former employer, where he had worked until 2014. He had lost his left hand during his employment and has since been receiving compensation, which necessitates yearly verification in person. Family members said Utpal last spoke to them on January 4, after boarding the train from Guwahati the previous day. Since then, his mobile phone has remained unreachable.
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After repeated calls, a co-passenger answered Utpal’s phone, which was found inside his bag left on the train. The co-passenger informed the family that Utpal had been away from his seat for a long time. Other passengers in the coach reportedly claimed that they saw him being taken away by a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) at a station near Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Since then, there has been no information about Utpal’s whereabouts, and the family has expressed grave concern over his safety. Efforts are reportedly underway to trace him.
