Anantnag: In a development that has revived hope for a distressed family in south Kashmir, a 76-year-old pilgrim from Dooru, Anantnag, who went missing in Mecca nearly 18 months ago, has reportedly been spotted alive.
The pilgrim, Mohd Akbar Bhat, son of Ghulam Qadir Bhat a resident of Nathipora, Dooru, traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah. Shortly after arriving in Mecca, he disappeared under unexplained circumstances.
The pilgrim had departed for Saudi Arabia on April 9, 2025, through a private tour operator named Deedar-e-Kaaba Travel Agency. According to his son, the elderly man disappeared shortly after arriving in the holy city of Mecca. Despite running from pillar to post and seeking assistance from local authorities and the tour operator, the family received no actionable help or information regarding his whereabouts for a year and a half.
According to his son, the family has endured intense emotional turmoil over the past year and a half. “We went everywhere seeking help, but to no avail. the family had been desperately awaiting any news of his whereabouts.
A breakthrough occurred when another pilgrim from Kokernag, who visited Mecca for Umrah in September this year, spotted and recognized the elderly man in the holy city. However, when NV101 attempted to contact the pilgrim for details, he declined to comment. A Family member claimed.
Meanwhile, Hilal Ahmad, Director of Deedar-e-Kaaba Travel Agency in Anantnag, clarified that the elderly pilgrim did not travel through his travel agency, contrary to initial claims.
According to Ahmad, the pilgrim and his wife had booked their journey through the Dooru-based World Wise Travel Agency, managed by Muzaffar Ahmad a resident of the same village who personally accompanied the group to Saudi Arabia.
Detailing the efforts undertaken over the past year to locate the missing man, Ahmad said, “We have made every possible effort over the last year to trace his whereabouts, including checking local mortuaries, but to no avail.” He added that formal missing reports and an FIR were lodged with local authorities in Saudi Arabia, alongside notifications sent directly to the Saudi Embassy.
Upon our return to Kashmir, we also registered a missing report at the SSP office in Anantnag and met with the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag, where a formal case file was initiated,” Ahmad stated.
Reiterating that search operations remain active, he added: “Even today, our search continues. Every pilgrim group traveling from here to Saudi Arabia for Umrah is actively assisting in looking for him.”
According to the records provided, the missing pilgrim holds passport number C8586437. Following his disappearance, a formal First Information Report (FIR No. 5865524) was registered in Saudi Arabia on November 2, 2025.
Additionally, official reports have been filed with both the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Saudi Embassy, urging diplomatic intervention to expedite the search. The family has also approached the Jammu & Kashmir Grievance Cell, appealing for urgent, coordinated efforts to secure his safe return.
Following reports that he is alive, the family has made an earnest appeal to the Jammu & Kashmir administration and the central government to intervene diplomatically, ensure he is located, and facilitate his safe repatriation.
