Trader missing after calling wife from Vidyasagar Setu in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A 26-year-old trader from Narendrapur has gone "missing" after parking his bike on Vidyasagar Setu early on Monday. Cops suspect that Arijit Das - who ran a mobile handset business in Garia - might have jumped into the Hooghly.
Police said Das had spoken to his wife over video call from the bridge, minutes before he went missing. "He was crying profusely and claiming that no matter what happens, he will continue loving her," the wife told cops.
Vidyasagar Setu traffic guard cops saw the bike and raised an alarm."We checked CCTV footage, but there is no camera at the spot where the bike was found. Divers are searching the river and we are checking CCTV footage from other spots," said an officer.
Cops said Das was under financial strain, his wedding expenses - the couple got married a month ago - adding to his burden. An officer said his wife had initially said that Das had threatened to kill himself on the video call. "She has since retracted the statement, saying he was crying," said an officer.
Police said motorists and cops stopped by Das to enquire if he was in trouble. But he said he was on a call and will leave soon. Das made the video call to his wife at 5.47am. He spoke for several minutes, then spent some time on the bridge before "disappearing around 6am," a source said.
"His bike was found near the middle of the bridge. DMG is now conducting a search," said DC (South) Akash Magharia.