I always knew that my son is alive. My faith was reinforced when I saw his photo in Mysooru Mithra,” Yashwanth’s mother Meenakshi had told reporters. “He had grown a moustache and looked like he had also put on weight. But those same eyes, the same nose… How could I miss them,” she said.

The Police, however, identified the man in photo as Ramesh and not Yashwanth. Worse, there are at least half a dozen others who claim that the man in the picture is their missing relative. But Meenakshi is not relenting. 

“I can identify my son anywhere. The Police advertisement says Ramesh stammers. My son too stammers. They got the name wrong,” she added.

On April 24, 2007, just a few days after Meenakshi and her husband Kushalappa lodged a ‘missing’ complaint, they got a call from an unknown number at 2 am, they said.

“It was my son. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. But I recognised his voice. He hung up within a few seconds. That’s the last time I heard from him,” Meenakshi recalled.

She said Police was immediately informed and one Mujahid, from his phone number the 2 am-call was made, was detained. 

But the Police let him off saying they did not get any evidence against him to link him with the disappearance of their son, she added.