New Delhi:
On Monday, the families of two kidnapped policemen, Kanchan Garai and Sabir Sharif, came from West Bengal to New Delhi to meet Home Minister with an appeal.
"I believe he is still alive but we just want someone to tell us where he is and how he is," said Basudev Gorai, father of one of the missing Constables.
Accompanying them was Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who played the Naxal card perfectly, by arranging the meeting to wring as much political advantage as she can out of the situation.
The two policemen went missing over three months ago from Lalgarh in West Bengal.
Mamata wanted to know why the West Bengal government is not treating their case with the same urgency as Attindranath Dutta, the cop who was released after spending several hours in Maoist custody.
"When joint operations are on, how is it that policemen are kidnapped? How is it that two persons have just disappeared from duty?" Mamata said.
And caught in the political crossfire are the Constables' families. Their faith has already been shaken by the West Bengal chief minister's uninformed comment that the cops were probably already killed.
"When the chief minister's remark came my mother and brother in law fell ill," said Dalia Sharif, relative of the missing Constable.
Media focus came back on Garai and Sharif's story only after the much publicised release of Attindranath Dutta.
"We were hoping that he would be released at the same time as Attindranath Dutta. We were waiting for good news," said Basudev Gorai.
The families have termed the meeting satisfactory. After over 90 days of despair and the comment from the West Bengal chief minister, they have vested all their faith on the assurance given by the Home Minister.