Techie from Noida goes missing in US, feared killed

TNN

Noida, 06 May 2015: A 43-year-old software engineer who migrated to the US from Noida in 2005 has gone missing in Houston, the city in Texas where he lives with his wife and two children.

 

Puneet Nehra, who works with Avanade — a Microsoft and Accenture joint venture — was last seen by his family on the evening of May 3 when he went out to buy dinner for wife Minita and kids Muskaan (10) and Akul (6), his parents in Noida told TOI. Puneet’s father OP Nehra and mother live in A block of Sector 19.

 

The family had received information that Puneet had stopped to help an accident victim on a bridge across the Brazos river. The police, according to the family and local media reports, fear Puneet may have been knocked into the river by a drunken driver who ploughed into the accident site. But there was no confirmation from the police and a search operation for Puneet was on when reports last came in.’

 

A local media report said the Fort Bend county sheriff’s office had asked people to call with any information about the crash or if they had seen Nehra.

 

"The information we have received is that Puneet stopped to assist with an accident around 9pm," said OP Nehra. "The accident had occurred on the Grand Parkway northbound on a bridge across the Brazos river. An allegedly intoxicated driver then crashed his vehicle into that accident spot. The police didn’t realize what had happened till they started clearing the scene. They found that one vehicle (Puneet’s) didn’t have its driver. They believe my son possibly went over the bridge and into the river when the second crash happened but we have no confirmation."

 

Nehra said his son was a good Samaritan who always helped others. "That is probably the reason he stopped to help when he saw the crash," Nehra said. "We moved to Noida in 1994. After completing his masters in computer application, Puneet worked with CSC, an American MNC, before he left for the US with his wife Minita."

 

"Today, Muskaan and Akul cannot understand why their dad is not with them," Nehra said, adding the family had contacted the military attache asking for assistance. "We want the government of India to extend all possible help in locating my son," he said.