Army officer undergoing training course at Mhow Infantry School goes missing

PTI, Oct 8, 2023, 11:39 AM IST

An Army officer undergoing the Young Officers course at the Infantry School at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh has gone missing, police said on Sunday.

A missing person’s report was registered at Mhow police station in Indore district on Saturday, officiating Mhow police station house officer Deepak Rathore told PTI. As per preliminary investigation, Lt Mohit Gupta has been missing since 6 am on Friday. All officers and personnel of other ranks are supposed to attend the Physical Training (PT) at 6 am, but he was not there, following which his instructors asked his course mates to check if he was ill, the official said.

“At around 7.30 am, his room was checked and when he was not found there, the authorities were informed about he being missing. When he was not found anywhere, a complaint was made with the police,” Rathore said.

“The Infantry School authorities have provided the missing officer’s mobile number and permanent address to the police. His mobile number was switched off,” he said. Lt Gupta’s parents and other family members, residing at Srinagar locality in Etah city of Uttar Pradesh, have been informed about he being missing and his call detail record (CDR) has been sought to get information about who all were in touch with him, the official said. “On a written complaint submitted by Subedar Jarmal Singh, posted as an instructor at the Young Officers wing of the Infantry School, the Mhow police have registered the case and started an investigation into the matter,” the official added.

According to sources, Lt Gupta was last spotted in the PT uniform and went missing between 6 am and 7.30 am from his room situated at the Young Officers’ accommodation near Walong Dwar on the side of Mall Road in Mhow. He left his motorbike there only and it is presumed that he moved out on foot. There are strict rules for officers and other rank personnel coming to the Infantry School for various in-service courses and they are not allowed to go out of the campus, they said. All amenities and shops run by civilian contractors are situated on the campus so that trainees do not venture out, the sources said. In case of some urgent need to go out, they are supposed to get an out pass signed by an appropriate authority and the Defence Security Corps (DSC) personnel deployed for security at all gates allow them to go out only after seeing their passes, they added.