KATHMANDU, Oct 22: Sixteen days have passed since 34-year-old Nepali national Jitendra Pandey went missing in Portugal, but authorities have yet to make any progress in locating him.
Pandey, a resident of Bhanu Municipality-9 in Tanahun, disappeared on October 6 from the Covas De Ferro Sintra area, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon, where he had been living and working for the past two years.
Despite ongoing efforts by local police and the Nepali Embassy in Lisbon, there have been no concrete updates regarding his whereabouts.
“We are in complete trauma. We have not received any official information regarding his situation. All we can do is piece together details shared by his friends,” said Parbati Basnet, Jitendra’s sister, speaking to Republica. She added that neither the embassy nor the Portuguese authorities have contacted the family directly.
Confirming the lack of progress, Nepali Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Paudel said the investigation has not produced any significant leads so far. “We are closely following the case, but no meaningful outcome has emerged till now,” he said.
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Family members said Jitendra’s last known communication in Nepal was with his girlfriend, whom he was planning to marry. According to them, Jitendra told her he was “facing some trouble,” but did not elaborate. When she pressed for details, he reportedly replied that “it was of no use telling them.”
The night before his disappearance, Jitendra spoke to his parents — Purna Bahadur Pandey (69) and Shiva Maya (66) — assuring them that everything was fine, though he mentioned he would be out of contact for a few days.
“We are sure Jitendra is not the kind of person who would go missing on his own. He always lived a disciplined and purposeful life. We need to know what happened to him,” Parbati said.
According to Bidur Tamang, one of Jitendra’s close friends, he had visited their apartment on Sunday night but left after receiving a phone call from another friend. He was supposed to report to work the next morning but never showed up. His phone has remained switched off since that night.
After Jitendra failed to appear for work, his friends informed his family in Nepal, who in turn alerted his employer. Local police were then notified to initiate a search.
Jitendra’s residency documents, bank card, passport and other personal belongings were found untouched in his room.
He had arrived in Portugal via Croatia two years ago and was employed at a packing company in Sintra.
The incident has sparked growing concern within the Nepali migrant community in Portugal, who have urged both Portuguese authorities and the Nepali Embassy to intensify the search and provide clarity to Pandey’s distressed family.
