Young woman goes missing from Park Street on Saptami, family fears abduction

A young woman in her twenties, Anchal Gupta, has gone missing after a Durga Puja outing on the night of Saptami (October 10), leaving her family in distress. Anchal and three of her sisters went out to celebrate Durga Puja and ended up on Park Street late that night. However, during their visit to a restaurant, Anchal disappeared without a trace.

According to the family, the four sisters had planned to visit several Durga Puja pandals in South Kolkata. At around 11 p.m., one of Anchal’s friends called the family, informing them she was missing. Her mother, Usha Gupta, recalled, "We were told that everyone was in line to enter a restaurant on Park Street. The other three sisters entered the restaurant, but when they turned around, Anchal was nowhere to be found." Despite searching the area, including Lalbazar, the family failed to locate her. Nearly a week has passed since the incident, and there is still no sign of Anchal.

Anchal’s family, who lives in the Sobhabazar area, has lodged a formal complaint with the Park Street police station. Her father is a clothier, and she has a younger brother who is currently in his first year of undergraduate studies. The family is growing increasingly anxious with each passing day, as there has been no breakthrough in the case.

The family suspects that a young neighbor might be involved in Anchal's disappearance. According to Jharna Chattopadhyay, a relative, "The young man used to bother Anchal at times." The police have called the young man in for questioning, but he has denied any involvement in the incident.

The investigation took a new turn when CCTV footage from outside the restaurant revealed that Anchal had taken out a small phone from her bag and was seen talking on it. This was surprising to the family, as they initially informed the police that Anchal did not use a mobile phone. The footage shows her leaving the phone behind before disappearing from the scene.

The police are continuing their investigation, but Anchal’s family remains in anguish as days go by without any leads. The authorities are now examining the phone records and other evidence to trace her whereabouts, but for now, her disappearance remains a mystery.