Patna: Six years ago, Indian Airlines flight CD 7412 crashed into a residential colony near the city airport, killing 63 passengers.
But six-year-old Priyanshu, traveling on the same flight with his father, was believed to have miraculously survived.
“Neighbours said the child survived. He fell in a dung heap when someone picked him up,” recalls a resident, Vijay Yadav.
While the deafening explosion of the tragedy still echoes in the bylanes of the colony, a quiet hope lives on for Priyanshu’s grandparents who are unable to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of the boy.
Since the accident, Priyanshu’s grandmother Shakuntala Devi's has been conducting a regular puja (prayer ceremony) for the safe return of her grandson.
“We are praying for the last six years to get our child back. But no one listens to us,” she says.
Their hopes were kept afloat by reports in the local media about a child surviving the mishap.
Since then for the Pandeys, it is a never-ending search, knocking on doors trying to find the boy's whereabouts.
“The child was lost after the plane crash. Ever since his grandfather has been searching for him,” says a resident, Khusbu Bharti.
Going by eyewitness accounts as well as the fact that Priyanshu's body was never recovered, Patna police registered a missing person's complaint and claim to be on a lookout for the missing boy, giving family a hope.
“I hope we get our child back. I have seen that if you believe in something, it happens,” says Priyanshu's grandfather, Munishwar Pandey.
It’s said that time is the biggest healer. But for the Pandeys, each passing day only adds on to their concern and anxiety, killing by inches the hope that Priyanshu will return safely one day.
But six-year-old Priyanshu, traveling on the same flight with his father, was believed to have miraculously survived.
“Neighbours said the child survived. He fell in a dung heap when someone picked him up,” recalls a resident, Vijay Yadav.
While the deafening explosion of the tragedy still echoes in the bylanes of the colony, a quiet hope lives on for Priyanshu’s grandparents who are unable to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of the boy.
Since the accident, Priyanshu’s grandmother Shakuntala Devi's has been conducting a regular puja (prayer ceremony) for the safe return of her grandson.
“We are praying for the last six years to get our child back. But no one listens to us,” she says.
Their hopes were kept afloat by reports in the local media about a child surviving the mishap.
Since then for the Pandeys, it is a never-ending search, knocking on doors trying to find the boy's whereabouts.
“The child was lost after the plane crash. Ever since his grandfather has been searching for him,” says a resident, Khusbu Bharti.
Going by eyewitness accounts as well as the fact that Priyanshu's body was never recovered, Patna police registered a missing person's complaint and claim to be on a lookout for the missing boy, giving family a hope.
“I hope we get our child back. I have seen that if you believe in something, it happens,” says Priyanshu's grandfather, Munishwar Pandey.
It’s said that time is the biggest healer. But for the Pandeys, each passing day only adds on to their concern and anxiety, killing by inches the hope that Priyanshu will return safely one day.
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