A family residing in the Gomti Colony area of Karauli, Rajasthan, has endured two agonizing years of uncertainty following the unexplained disappearance of their twenty-five-year-old son, Shyam Sundar Gaur. On the afternoon of August 17, 2024, the young student stepped outside his home and failed to return. Although his relatives promptly filed a missing person report with the police, investigators have yet to uncover any significant leads regarding his whereabouts. The prolonged absence has placed an overwhelming emotional toll on the entire household, where each passing day is spent caught between dread and the enduring hope of his safe return.
A Mother's Vigil and Persistent Daily Calls
For his mother, Kamlesh Gaur, daily life has become defined by relentless waiting. Stationed near the main entrance of their residence, she watches the threshold in the hope that her son might suddenly walk through the doorway and restore happiness to their household. Clutching his portrait, she routinely asks neighbors and passersby for any information that might shed light on his location. Her routine includes dialing her son's mobile phone number between 10 and 15 times each day. Calling first thing after waking up in the morning and once more before resting at night has become an unbroken habit, even though the telecom service provider has reported the connection as either switched off or out of coverage for the past two years.
The Timeline of August 17, 2024
According to relatives, the sequence of events began around 2:00 PM on August 17, 2024, when Shyam Sundar received an incoming call on his handset. Promptly after answering the call, he exited the house. Family members noted that his demeanor throughout the day had been entirely ordinary, with no outward indication of panic or distress. Earlier that morning, he had visited a local Hanuman temple to offer prayers and had actively assisted his family with preparations for the approaching festival of Raksha Bandhan. While his relatives acknowledge he may have experienced academic pressure, nothing in his behavior seemed amiss. The last contact took place at approximately 8:00 PM that evening, when his mother reached him by telephone; he assured her that he would be returning home shortly. Immediately following that conversation, his handset was powered off, and all communication ceased permanently.
Academic Journey and Administrative Petitions
His younger sister, Rashmi Gaur, shared that the disappearance has left the home shattered and made festive occasions painful reminders of his absence. Their mother spends most of her hours in quiet despondency, frequently breaking down in tears and often retiring for the night without eating. Academic records shared by the family indicate that after completing his class 12 education, Shyam Sundar had moved to Jaipur to pursue a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) degree at Subodh College. In their quest for answers, the Gaur family has submitted repeated memorandums to the local police department, district administration officials, and the District Collector, yet no breakthrough has materialized from the inquiries.
Financial Hardship Compounded by Cyber Deception
The prolonged ordeal has also dealt a serious economic blow to the family. His father, Prakash Chand Gaur, and elder brother, Kapil Gaur, both work as tile-fitting laborers in Hyderabad to support the family. Kapil noted that the disappearance has broken the household's spirit, leaving festivals uncelebrated for the past two years. The family's vulnerability was further exploited when an unidentified cyber criminal duped them of 50,000 rupees under the false pretext of providing information on the missing student. In spite of the severe financial strain and emotional distress, the family refuses to abandon their search. They have issued fresh appeals to the Rajasthan Police and the Karauli district police administration, urging authorities to intensify search operations and bring Shyam Sundar home.
