Leaders respond to NDTV’s impactful story prompting investigation into man’s disappearance.

The Supreme Court has directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the disappearance of Mansingh Patel. This decision was prompted by a habeas corpus petition, which alleged that Patel had been unlawfully detained.

Govind Singh Rajput, a central figure in the case, has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the SIT but has also claimed that there is a political conspiracy against him. He has warned of defamation suits against those attempting to tarnish his image.

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari has criticized the state’s Home Minister and the entire Home Ministry for questioning the Supreme Court’s decision to appoint an SIT with officers from outside the state. Patwari also acknowledged the role of NDTV in raising awareness about the Patel case and urged the media to pay attention to such matters.

The case involves a disputed piece of land that included the minister’s Kila Kothi. The individual who initially filed the complaint about the land, Mansingh Patel, has been missing since 2016.

His son, Sitaram Patel, made allegations of foul play in an interview with NDTV in 2023, accusing individuals of wrongdoing in the land dispute. Following NDTV’s report, the OBC Mahasabha took the case to the Supreme Court, which directed the formation of an SIT comprising IPS officers from outside the state.

The SIT has been given four months to complete the investigation and has been instructed to treat the missing person report as an FIR and ensure the protection of witnesses, recording their statements in a secure environment.