HC gives cops 3 weeks to trace kidnapped son of whistleblower

In response to a habeas corpus petition, the Bombay High Court today directed Mumbai police to trace, in three weeks, the kidnapped son of a man who had exposed corruption in an SRA scheme in the city.
Government lawyer today informed the bench headed by Justice P V Hardas that a police team was likely to visit Hyderabad to trace the boy, and sought some time to produce him before the court. The bench granted three weeks' time.
Petitioner Mohammed Shaikh alleges that his adversaries kidnapped his son, Mohammed Sajid Shaikh, to take revenge, because Shaikh had exposed illegalities in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project at Shastri Nagar Housing Society in suburban Santa Cruz.

His lawyer, advocate Gayatri Singh, argued that Shaikh had also filed a complaint with Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) about the corruption in the project, following which he got threat calls, asking him to withdraw his complaint. However, he did not relent.
According to Shaikh, the Chief promoter of the SRA project and his henchmen were harassing him for the last two years, because he had exposed the irregularities.
His house was often pelted with stones, and though he has police protection, it is perfunctory, the petition says.
According to the petitioner, his 15 years old son was kidnapped on November 22 last year. Despite writing to the Chief Minister, the Police Commissioner and the MHADA chairman, no action was taken; finally, police registered a case and arrested three persons while two others absconded, but his son's whereabouts are still not known.