SEARCH COMPLETED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 10

SEARCH COMPLETED

THE MISSING HINDU

POLICE DISAPPOINTMENT

"The search for the Indian Dalu Desai, aged 42, the storekeeper's assistant who disappeared from his home at Taharoa, near Kawhia, on May 7 last, and has not been seen since, has been completed, and the members of the police force who have been engaged in the work for the last three months are now returning to their respective stations," said Mr. D. J. Cummings, Commissioner of Police, in an interview with the "New Zealand Herald." Mr. Cummires said he visited Taharoa on Thursday, and spent several hours in the locality, returning at a late hour at night.

During the last three months the Taharoa Lake, which has an area of 650 acres, was thoroughly dragged twice. A cream can that was lost some years ago and some grappling irons, lost by the police when the first dragging was done, were recovered. Besides the lake an extensive area of sandhills in and around Taharoa was thoroughly examined, and likely places were dug to a depth of 10ft.

Mr. Cummings paid a warm tribute to the splendid work of the 30 men who, under Sergeant W. S. Brown, of Auckland, and Detective A. J. White, of Hamilton, carried on the search during a period of bitter winter weather, and in the face of unusual difficulties. The winter was one of the worst experienced in the locality for many years, said Mr. Cummings, and the men, many of whom were accustomed to city conditions, had a very trying time. It was very disappointing that, the quest so far had not been completely satisfactory.