TNR Exclusive: Residents suspect there may be more to the incident than meets the eye
Munish Sood
MANDI: The Shimla police solved within 24 hours the sensational case involving the alleged abduction of three students from the prestigious Bishop Cotton School in the Himachal Pradesh capital. Interestingly, Sumit himself studied at Bishop Cotton School and is well aware of its culture and activities.
The accused, identified as Sumit Sood, was allegedly found to have taken the children to his multi-storeyed house at Kokunala in Kotkhai, which is about 60 km from Shimla.
But who exactly is Sumit Sood? The Newz Radar spoke to local residents in Kokunala who expressed deep shock over his arrest. Residents unanimously described Sood as a sensitive, polite and well-mannered man with no history of disputes or criminal behaviour.
“He is known here as a respectable citizen,” said one local, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have never seen him involved in any quarrels or wrongdoing. It is hard to believe that a person of his nature could be found culpable in such a case.”
Some locals suspect there may be more to the incident than meets the eye and believe that only a thorough police investigation will reveal the full truth.
Family and background
Sumit Sood hails from the Kotkhai area of Shimla district. At one time, his father ran a successful business in the region, but over the years, the business declined and the family faced financial hardships. His mother worked as a teacher at the local DAV School while his father eventually operated a small shop in the market to make ends meet.
A few years ago, his father fell ill and had to close the shop altogether. Sumit has a brother and both are married. He has two daughters and his wife runs a small home-based bakery.
According to residents, Sumit’s current financial position is weak. Some locals reject the notion that he could have lost Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh in the share market, saying it is implausible given his lack of substantial funds. “As far as we know, he is struggling financially. Such losses just don’t add up,” one resident told TNR.
While the police investigation is ongoing, the people of Kokunala remain puzzled. Most believe that the final word on what happened will only come after official findings. Until then, they remain reluctant to believe the man they’ve known for years could be involved in such an act.
