18-year-old from Bangalore missing in Manchester

Manchester, 08 Jan 2013, (AFP): The father of an Indian student who went missing in the English city of Manchester a week ago on Tuesday urged witnesses to come forward after he travelled to Britain to help police.

 

Souvik Pal, an 18-year-old studying at Manchester Metropolitan University in northwest England, has been missing since celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends at a nightclub in the city.

 

His father Santanu, who flew to Manchester from the Indian city of Bangalore to help detectives with the search, said he was proud of his son and would not leave Britain until he was found.

 

"I would like to directly appeal to anyone who has any clues that can help the police search for Souvik, to call the police," he told journalists at police headquarters in Manchester.

 

"This has been a very difficult time for our family back in India, including Souvik’s younger brother, who views him as a role model."

 

Police divers have searched Manchester’s canals for the student, who was last seen at the Warehouse Project club to the west of the city centre at around 11:00 pm on December 31.

 

Police described him as 1.70 metres (5 feet 7 inches) tall, of slim build and Asian appearance and with a scar on the right side of his forehead.

 

He speaks English with an Indian accent and was last seen wearing a pale denim shirt, grey trousers and navy blue leather boots.

 

"With every day that passes, we are becoming more concerned for Souvik’s welfare," said Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin of Greater Manchester Police.

 

"As you can imagine, his family in India are fraught with worry."