Cops unable to trace missing Russian

Cops unable to trace missuing Russian

Preetu Nair, TNN

PANAJI: More than six months after Russian national, Victor Pomerantsev, who was staying in Goa without valid documents, was discharged from the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB), the Goa police is still clueless about his whereabouts.

Even as the Russian consulate in Mumbai waits to repatriate the Russian national, the Goa police have sent wireless to all police stations and have asked cops to check Victor's whereabouts. The matter came to light in April 2009, when the Russian consulate official went to the Goa police's foreigner's registration office (FRO) to seek permission for Victor to leave the country'.

Victor was admitted to IPHB on June 11, 2008 and his illness was diagnosed as substance induced psychotic disorder. At IPHB, Victor kept repeating that he doesn't want to leave the country, "because he loves India". His visa expired in September 2007.

IPHB medical superintendent B S Cuncoliencar said, "He was admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment. Days before his discharge we informed Calangute police that the patient was fit to be discharged. But there was no response and as the doctor treating him gave a certificate stating that he is fit for discharge, we discharged him".

Incidentally, the Goa police was aware that the IPHB had decided to discharge Victor, as indicated by a letter written by SP (FRO) to the Russian authorities in November 2008, with a request to urgently repatriate Victor. The SP (FRO) wrote, "The office is now in receipt of letter from PI Calangute, wherein it is informed that the foreign national is now fit for discharge and doesn't require further hospitalization and requested to take his custody back".

The letter added, "To urgently take up repatriation of the Russian national or the representative of the Russian embassy in Goa may be urgently contacted and directed to take custody of the foreign national and necessary arrangements be made to repatriate the foreign national to his own country". But neither the police nor the Russian authorities took custody of Victor.

Said an official from FRO, "The process of Victor's repatriation is on. After he was discharged from IPHB, his present whereabouts are not known. The minute he is traced we will proceed with repatriation. We have flashed wireless messages to all police stations and asked them to provide information on his whereabouts".

Police sources said that he was admitted to the IPHB following a complaint from the Calangute police that an "unknown male, appearing to be a foreigner giving all vague answers, of unsound mind was wandering in the market and creating a nuisance in public places." He was first picked up by the Mapusa police for being a "public nuisance" and admitted to the IPHB in March, 2008, for almost 25 days. Later in April he was picked up by the Calangute police and sent to the IPHB. He was again picked up by the Calangute police in June.

20 July 2009,The Times of India, Goa edition