Ibrahim Sharief

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 30: Family members of Ibrahim Sharief suspect that the 34-year-old engineer has been abducted.

Sharief, an assistant controller of mines at the office of the regional controller of mines of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), has been missing since November 25 last.

Sharief’s wife Salma Parveen said police told them that someone had accessed and changed the password of her husband’s Facebook account on December 24.

“It’s possible that someone has tampered with his Facebook account by forcing him to divulge his password. This might have been done to misguide the investigation process,” she said.

Sharief’s family members also expressed their dissatisfaction over the police investigation.

“The police should trace the Internet protocol address of the computer used for changing his password. The cops had traced his mobile number in Uttar Pradesh a long ago, but they are yet to trace him,” she said.

They also requested chief minister Naveen Patnaik to hand over the case to the CBI. “The Karnataka government has taken up the matter seriously and even sent a special team to Odisha for investigation. But, local police have not yet been bale to trace my husband,” said Parveen.

Sharief is a native of Bellary in Karnataka and had been working with IBM, Bhubaneswar since January 27, 2011. Earlier, his family members had moved Orissa High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the case.

On the other hand, the police said they were yet to get any substantial lead in the case. “We have been tracking his mobile phone and email. But so far, there is no definite clue, which may help trace his whereabouts. We are in constant touch with our counter parts in Uttar Pradesh, where his mobile phone signal had been traced last time,” said a senior police official.

The family members also alleged involvement of senior IBM officials in connection with the possible abduction. “He has inspected a number of mines, which have violated norms. Therefore, we suspect the involvement of his senior officials in his abduction,” said Sharief’s younger brother.

Senior IBM officials denied the allegations. “Sharief’s family members have made the allegations on emotional background. There is no role of any IBM officials in his missing,” said deputy controller of mines L.H. Chhangte.