Sima Devi (52), the mother of a minor girl who disappeared from a Durga Puja pandal two years ago, staged a lone protest outside Doomdooma police station in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Thursday, accusing authorities of failing to resolve her daughter’s case. Clutching a photograph of her missing child, the distressed mother demanded accountability and appealed for high-level intervention.
The minor girl, aged eight-and-a-half, went missing on the morning of October 24, 2023, after leaving her home to play at a nearby Durga Puja pandal in Doomdooma town, Tinsukia district. Despite an initial wave of public outcry and organised protests, the investigation has yielded no results, compelling the heartbroken mother to stage a solitary demonstration seeking answers.
“I want justice for my missing daughter. Two years have passed, yet I have no information about her whereabouts or what befell her. The police have completely failed us. Each day without my child is unbearable. I deserve to know what happened,” Sima Devi told media personnel gathered at the protest site.
The grieving mother directly appealed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to personally intervene in the matter. “I humbly request the Chief Minister to help reunite me with my daughter. No mother should have to endure this uncertainty and pain,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.
Sima Devi leveled serious accusations against a neighbour, identifying him as Shibu Thapa, whom she suspects played a role in her daughter’s disappearance.
“Police detained Shibu Thapa initially when Rashmi vanished. He is our neighbour and was a suspect. However, he was released after superficial questioning. I firmly believe he abducted my daughter, and authorities must interrogate him properly to uncover the truth,” she alleged.
Expressing deep dissatisfaction with the investigation’s conduct, Sima Devi questioned the police’s approach. “If they had enough reason to detain him initially, why wasn’t a thorough investigation conducted? Why was he allowed to walk free? These questions haunt me every day,” she said.
The disappearance initially triggered significant public response two years ago. Major organisations including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) organised protests and roadblocks, demanding swift action to locate the missing girl. Despite this early momentum, the case gradually lost public attention as months passed without breakthroughs.
Through her solitary protest, Sima Devi hopes to revive interest in her daughter’s case and compel authorities to pursue fresh investigative leads.
“People may have moved on, but I cannot. I will continue fighting until my daughter is found or until I learn her fate,” she stated with determination.
Doomdooma police authorities have yet to comment on the protest or provide updates regarding the investigation’s current status.
