German national missing in Kerala since March, Interpol says may have links with terror outfits
True that Kerala is not the Bermuda Triangle where objects or people disappear without a trace, but the case of Lisa Wiese, a German national who has been missing since March 10, has left the state police in a state of bother. This is more so because the Interpol has signalled that she may have links with terror outfits.
On March 7, Lisa Wiese landed in Thiruvananthapuram along with a UK national Ali Muhammad. Police say Lisa last contacted her family in Germany on March 10. But since then, there has been no news about her whereabouts. Her mobile phone is switched off and her Google accounts have reportedly been deleted, the police say.
The Kerala Police launched a search for the 31-year-old German national after her mother lodged a complaint recently. However, despite 11 days of search, the police have been unable to trace her. A team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police R Ilango is investigating the case.
In her embarkation form, Lisa had declared that she would be visiting the Amritandandamai Math in Vallikavu, Kollam. This was apparently to be her second visit to the Math. She had stayed there for two months in 2011 when she visited Kerala.
Police say Lisa's visa (which was valid for a month) expired on April 5. She had flown to Thiruvananthapuram from Stockholm via Dubai and checked out of the airport on March 7.
"We are investigating the case and have sought help from the Interpol to locate Lisa's travel companion Ali Muhammad (a UK national)," Police Commissioner Dinedra Kashyap told India Today.
Ali Muhammad returned to the UK from Kochi on March 15.
City Police Commissioner Dinedra Kashyap said they have issued a look out notice for Lisa and have also shared her details and photographs with police forces of other states.
"So far we have found that Lisa has not left India," Dinedra Kashyap said.
Police say that in his embarkation form, Lisa's travel companion Ali Muhammad too had declared that he would be travelling to the Amritanandanmai Math.
However, Math authorities have told the police that neither Lisa nor Ali visited the site.
During their investigation, the police found that Lisa and Ali visited a hotel in Kovalam Beach and Varkala after they landed. Police have also found that during their stay in Kerala, Lisa and Ali, did not fill Form C that is mandatory for foreigners while staying at a hotel or in a home-stay.
"This indicates two possibilities. Either Lisa stayed with a private home or in a hostel run by religious groups," a senior police official who is privy to the investigation told India Today, adding that she has not checked in any other ports in India with her passport.
A questionnaire has also been prepared by police to be sent to the relatives of the missing woman through the German consulate, a senior official investigating the case said.
As per the findings of the police investigations, Lisa Wiese is a Jew and was converted to Islam in 2012. She converted to Islam while working with an NGO in Egypt.
She married a US citizen Abd-ul-Rehman Hashim and has two children. But in 2016, the two separated.
In order to trace Lisa and her travel companion Ali, the Kerala Police has requested help from Interpol to trace Ali. According to the Kerala Police, Interpol has informed them that the NGO that Lisa and Ali were working with in Egypt has links with terror outfits.
There is no information however about who these outfits are and whether Lisa and Ali were involved in terror activities in any manner.
On July 8, the Interpol issued a yellow notice, a global alert to trace Lisa.
Meanwhile, besides the puzzling mystery of Lisa's disappearance, Kerala Police is under tremendous pressure with diplomatic pressure mounting.
The German Consulate has already expressed its displeasure on the slow progress of the investigation into this case and that the police have not been able to trace Lisa who has been missing since March 10.