London: The UK Foreign Office is looking into the mysterious disappearance of a British-Indian hotelier who went missing while on a business trip to Punjab.
Ranjit Singh Power’s family in Britain fears he may have been kidnapped after he uncharacteristically failed to stay in contact with them and did not catch his return flight from Amritsar on May 14.
The 54-year-old owns the four-star Ramada Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands region of England, and used to call his family every day.
But this time, he last spoke to his partner, Angela Bir, on May 7 when he landed in India.
“We are getting more and more distraught. Our fears are he may have been kidnapped or even worse,” his daughter Emma told the ‘Express & Star’ newspaper.
“Father would contact England two or three times a day if not more. We have not heard from him at all. He is very careful and has always been aware of his security,” the 26-year-old said.
Mr Power, who grew up in the West Midlands, has now been placed on the West Midlands Police’s Missing Persons list as the Foreign Office joins the investigation.
“A British national was reported missing in India on May 14. We are providing consular assistance to the family and liaising closely with local authorities,” a spokesperson said.
A West Midlands Police spokesperson confirmed Mr Power is on the Missing Persons list and urged anyone with information to call 101.
Mr Power, a wealthy businessman, bought the Ramada Park Hall Hotel out of administration four years ago from its previous owners. He previously owned the Connaught Hotel in Wolverhampton before selling it in 2004.
