By IANS
Gurgaon : Deepak Mehndiratta, the multinational executive who disappeared under mysterious circumstances and resurfaced after nearly two weeks is said to be recovering in hospital but police here are yet to talk to him and ascertain the sequence of events.
“We have still not been able to talk to him as he is still not fit to make a statement. We will most probably talk to him in the evening to figure out the events that led to his sudden disappearance and his coming back,” Satyender Kumar Gupta, deputy commissioner of police (east), Gurgaon, said Monday.
“According to our preliminary investigations, it appears that no ransom was paid, but we are not ruling out any possibility including that it could be a self-staged abduction,” he said.
“He was in a bit of financial trouble since he was in debt to the tune of Rs.1.5 million-Rs.2 million. The condition in which he returned too is ambiguous. He came home slightly bearded and clad only in a pair of jeans. His hair was dishevelled and he had a cut near his eyebrow. We haven’t made any arrests so far,” Gupta added.
The doctors attending him at the Umkal Hospital in Gurgaon said Mehndiratta was perfectly fine and would be shifted from the ICU to the general ward soon.
“He is in a good condition but is still traumatised. There are signs of superfluous injuries,” said R.R Dutta, a doctor at the hospital.
“He is fine, the police have met him. He came in state of trauma but is fine now. However, we will keep him under observation for a day or two,” said Wg Cdr T.K Sood, the hospital administrator.
Mehndiratta, COO of Adroit Quest, a global talent search and acquisition company, went missing Aug 2 after he told his wife Shelly that he was going out to collect some money from a property dealer in Sushant Lok. His charred Honda City car was found on National Highway-8 a day later.
He was found outside his apartment in Gurgaon late Saturday with some injuries, torn clothes and in a state of shock.
On Sunday, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mohinder Lal alleged there was no evidence of kidnapping. “There are strong chances that he had left his residence on his own will and if it is confirmed, the police will take action against the family for misleading the police,” he had said.
The fact that his family maintains that they did not receive any ransom call has raised more suspicions. Police had earlier said that Mehndiratta was insured for a huge sum of money and this was a scam to get that money – an accusation the family has vehemently denied.