Banker father in frantic search for his missing son; cops suspect spirituality behind disappearance

BAREILLY: With beads of sweat lining his forehead, 53-year-old R K Saxena, chief manager of a State Bank of India branch in Lucknow, sat in the superintendent of police's (SP) office here for nearly two hours. Three agonising days have passed since Saxena and his family have been running from pillar to post in search of their only child who went missing on the morning of January 9.
A medical aspirant, 20-year-old Rajat Saxena disappeared soon after he left for his coaching class here.Family members and police now believe that Rajat, who took a keen interest in spirituality and was in constant touch with several religious organisations, may have left home for a spiritual experience.
Rajat lived with his mother Kavita Saxena, 47, and grandmother in the city while his father stayed in Lucknow. Days before his disappearance, Rajat remained in constant touch with several centres of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) and searched for trains bound for the organisation’s centres in south India. Based on the family’s inputs, police has now narrowed down their investigation on Bareilly ISKCON chief Murli Das, who Rajat had last contacted
Speaking to TOI, city SP Sameer Saurabh said, “The missing boy was influenced by spirituality. He had contacted almost all the centres of ISKCON in the country. He also searched for trains bound to different locations in south India. The centre had initially rejected his primary membership claiming that a new applicant is kept under observation for six months before he or she is finally accepted.”
Family members said Rajat took his Aadhar card, passport and school marksheets with him, leaving behind his wallet and mobile phone. He had also formatted his laptop and phone but cops were able to retrieve information with the help of call record details.
Admitting to his son's interest in spirituality and religion, R K Saxena said, “He used to read literature by various religious gurus. We never objected to it. He is a very good student. Someone must have brainwashed him to take such an extreme step. He was talking to Murli Das of ISKCON centre in Bareilly. We suspect Das may have some role to play in his disappearance.”
ISKCON officials, including Murli Das, were not available for comment despite numerous attempts to contact them.