Bhubaneswar: Ministry of external affairs (MEA) has recently replied to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the alleged disappearance of Odia soldier Ananda Patri since he took part in the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
The ministry said they do not have additional information available with them regarding the whereabouts of Patri, a native of Gandhighat Sasan under Dhusuri block in Bhadrak district, who had served in the Indian Army.
Human rights activist and lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy had filed a petition in NHRC on February 29 requesting its intervention in the matter after Patri’s family members failed to find any information about him.
In its report to the commission, whose copy was recently sent to the petitioner, the MEA stated, “As per information available with us, in 2002 Bidyadhar Patri, son of Ananda, had identified an Indian national who was incarcerated in Pakistan as his father, based on photographs of unidentified believed to be Indian prisoners in Pakistan’s jail.”
The ministry further stated, “When the aforementioned individual was released, Bidyadhar met him and concluded it to be a case of mistaken identity. There is no additional information available with us regarding the whereabouts of Ananda Patri.”

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