Missing man seen in ad about Mahayuti Govt scheme for senior citizens yet to be traced

A constabulary serviceman said that during their investigation, they learnt that Tambe’s photograph seen connected the societal media advertisement was from 2019. The serviceman said they fishy his photograph was randomly accessed by those who designed the societal media station astir the pilgrimage strategy for elder citizens without checking his background.

While speaking to The Indian Express, his lad Bharat said Thursday, “We person nary clues astir the whereabouts of my father. The constabulary tried to hunt him, but failed”. Bharat besides said his begetter was not a beneficiary of the authorities strategy and was not alert of however his photograph was utilized successful the ad.

Tale of a missing antheral and an ad

Tambe came to the limelight successful July this twelvemonth aft the advertisement with his photograph astir the Maharashtra Government’s Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana was shared connected the Instagram grip of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and went viral. Under the scheme, elder citizens tin avail a subsidy of up to Rs 30,000 for pilgrimages to salient spiritual destinations successful the authorities and outside.

On July 18, Tambe’s lad Bharat received a screenshot from his person of a WhatsApp presumption idiosyncratic connected his contacts database had posted. The presumption showed a photograph of CM Shinde on with his father’s image, with the caption Ata Ghadavinar Jesthana Dharmik Sthalanche Darshan (Now, the aged tin sojourn places of worship).”

Bharat, who runs an eatery successful Shikrapur astir 25 kilometres from Varude, past contacted a section journalist, and urged CM Shinde to assistance find his father.

Political row

The quality astir the missing antheral soon went viral and sparked reactions from the Opposition.

In an X station connected July 20, Congress person Vijay Wadettiwar slammed the Mahayuti government, saying its schemes and ads were “hollow”. Wadettiwar besides said it was “a transgression to usage a photograph of a national successful this mode illegally connected the advertisement, without seeking their permission”.

Later, the Maharashtra authorities denied that it issued the advertisement featuring the missing man. “The authorities authorities has not posted this advertisement connected immoderate of its societal media accounts. It has besides not been issued via the authorities successful immoderate form,” a connection issued done the Director General of Information and Public Relations said.

However, Shinde Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske had past said that arsenic acold arsenic helium knew the advertisement was issued by the government. “But if it was our societal media squad that designed the post, we would surely effort to hint the root of the photograph truthful that the aged antheral tin beryllium traced,” helium said then.

After the contention erupted successful July, the Pune Rural constabulary began searching for Tambe. The constabulary said lone aft they approached his family, his lad Bharat lodged a missing study astatine the Shikrapur constabulary presumption connected the nighttime of July 20.

The constabulary said aft interacting with Tambe’s family, they recovered that helium had near location aggregate times successful the past without informing his relatives but ever came back. When helium near location during the pandemic successful December 2021, his household believed that helium would instrumentality arsenic usual, and did not pass the constabulary oregon lodge immoderate missing report.

The constabulary besides recovered retired that aft leaving home, Tambe would often sojourn places of pilgrimage. So, his household suspected helium could person attended a Wari procession, wherever his photograph whitethorn person been clicked. Accordingly, a hunt was carried out, but helium was not found.