Is Jasna’s friend, who took her for prayers held only on Thursdays in Christian sects, the real villain

The revelation of James, father of Jasna Maryam James, who went missing from Kollamula village near Vechoochira, that she is not alive, is at a time when the CBI's search for Jasna is about to end. Jasna went missing six years ago. A search for her by the police, crime branch and CBI could not get any clues about Jasna. It was at this stage James informed the Thiruvananthapuram Magistrate Court that she is not alive. What Jasna's father said was surprising as the expert investigation team could not say anything. He told Kerala Kaumudi that Jasna died in Kerala and that nothing more can be revealed at this time except for the petition filed in the court.

When the case will be considered again on April 19, the court has summoned CBI’s investigating official to ask some questions. Jasna's father said more will be revealed after that. James firmly believes that Jasna is dead. However, the police, crime branch and the CBI have not recorded such information in their investigation reports. A father cannot say that his daughter is dead without getting any reliable and authentic information.

He will have to answer the questions like how, when and where. James does not rule out completely the CBI who finally investigated the case. He told the court and the media that CBI had investigated a number of things but failed to reach some important points. Jasna's father now has to say what are those important points. Meantime, the CBI has informed the court that they had investigated everything and that no further investigation is required.

Six long years
Jasna, a second year B.Com student at S D College in Kanjirapally, went missing on March 22 in 2018. Jasna had taken an auto from her house in Kollamula to the nearest junction and traveled by bus till Mundakayam. An unclear picture of Jasna walking through Mundakkayam Junction was obtained from a CCTV installed in a shop.

Jasna's brother and KSU leader approached the high court demanding a CBI investigation when the police and the crime branch then proceeded efficiently by setting up information collection boxes in the state, interrogating many people and examining unidentified bodies. The CBI, which took over the case as per the direction of the court, could not clarify what happened to Jasna. There are those who believe that the police officers who were in charge of the investigation told the media that they had received crucial information about Jasna and it was for cheap publicity.

According to James, the investigating teams were not able to submit a report of her death. If they are clear about that, they have the responsibility to clarify where the incident took place and what was done with the body. Even her father who said that she is not alive cannot keep away from this responsibility. The Malayalees are waiting for his words. James had revealed that Jasna used to go for secret prayers on Thursdays.

In Christian sects, individual-centered congregations offer prayers on Thursdays. Thursday prayers are not regularly held in Christian churches. Her father suspects her friend who took Jasna for the prayers on Thursday. If her father says that he is involved in the death, it is up to the investigating agencies to find out. This will be a turning point. After she went missing, her brother and father in their statement to the police had mentioned about one of her classmates. He was subjected for a polygraph test and was interrogated but no proofs were obtained to prove his role. Her father has now mentioned about another friend.

Jasna after Kurup and Rahul
The blood-stained cloth found from Jasna's room was a crucial piece of evidence in the case. Her father had said that the CBI, Crime Branch and Police did not send it for detailed examination. Her relatives suspect menstrual bleeding or excessive bleeding during pregnancy. Jasna's relatives and retired police officers were conducting a parallel investigation. It is alleged that the CBI did not investigate what they found. Her father demanded that the investigation of the case be extended for at least six months in case of new information. Her relatives conclude that Jasna may have died somewhere in Erumeli, Mundakkayam and Kanjirapalli.

The police and the CBI have failed to investigate three major missing cases in Kerala. Sukumara Kurup, the accused in the Chacko murder case, could not be found even after decades. The police and CBI also failed in the investigation of the child named Rahul, who went missing while playing at Punnapra in Alappuzha. Thinking that this may be repeated in Jasna missing case, her father and relatives conducted a parallel investigation. It is reasonable to demand that the CBI extend the probe to find out whether their findings are true or false. In India, which has a sophisticated investigative system, leaving such missing cases unanswered would be like trying to extinguish the light of justice with darkness.