Lt Colonel goes missing from Army camp in Madhya Pradesh - ‘Extremely rare’

Police brief media

A Lieutenant Colonel rank officer posted in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, has been missing for over two days, prompting an intense search by the Army, local police, and intelligence agencies, The Times of India reported.

Lieutenant Colonel Pradeep Nigam, who belongs to an infantry regiment and hails from Gwalior, was last seen during his routine morning activities on June 2. He had left the Army campus in Sagar for a walk at 6.30 am but did not return, according to a report by news agency ANI.

When he failed to report for duty after the morning physical training (PT) session, the soldiers began searching the cantonment area immediately. As the hours passed with no sign of him, the search expanded to nearby areas. A formal missing persons complaint was filed by the Army at the Cantt Police Station later that evening.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lokesh Sinha told ANI that a Subedar Major had informed the police about the missing officer. “Based on the info, a case has been registered at Cantt police station and started the efforts to search for him,” he said.

“We are speaking to everyone who had any recent contact with him. We are also trying to collect technical and digital evidence that might offer some clues,” ASP Sinha was quoted by ANI as saying.

Police teams are interrogating colleagues and others who may have seen or spoken to Nigam recently. CCTV footage from within the cantonment and nearby public areas is being closely examined. Investigators are looking into every possible angle.

A senior official, speaking anonymously to TOI, said, “It is extremely rare for an officer of this seniority to go missing without any sign or warning. That’s what makes this more worrying. All possibilities are being looked at.”