Expressing concern for the safety of missing activist Gopal Das who was on a protest fast demanding concrete measures for protection of the Ganga river, his mother, cousin and companion have sought government intervention for finding him. While his mother has also started a protest in Rishikesh from Wednesday, his cousin and companion alleged that the authorities may have a direct role in his disappearance since his protest fast could have had undesirable political repercussions.

Addressing the media at the Press Club here on Thursday, the mother of Gopal Das, Shakuntala Devi said that the government should ascertain the whereabouts of her missing son. She said, “The government should find him and also consider acting on the demands he was protesting in support of. Meanwhile, I have taken up his place and started protest at Triveni Ghat in Rishikesh and will continue to do so.”

Das’s cousin Nitin Hoodah questioned why he was referred from AIIMS in Delhi to Dehradun when his condition was not good. He said, “We suspect foul play because he was picked up from AIIMS in a private vehicle and not an ambulance. We learnt that the vehicle dropped him somewhere on the roadside in Uttarakhand from where a passerby spotted him and took him to a private hospital. From there after some treatment, he was referred to the government Doon medical college hospital.

From that hospital he went missing on December 3. Earlier we had lodged a police complaint in south Delhi and also provided police the number of the private vehicle which took him from AIIMS. We had also complained to the police control room here. However, so far the police have not been able to ascertain his whereabouts. We suspect that the authorities may be behind the disappearance of Gopal Das since his protest was eliciting attention of concerned citizens and leaders of opposition parties,” he said.

Das’s companion Yogacharya Sandeepan alleged that the government was responsible for his disappearance since his protest was eliciting support at a time when the issue could have been politically detrimental during the assembly elections that were being held in five states. Das’s mother, cousin and Sandeepan said that they were going to submit a memorandum addressed to the prime minister, chief minister and director general of police seeking effective action for finding the missing activist.