Police begin nationwide search for French cyclist

The police are contacting bicycle riders’ clubs across the country to try and trace the whereabouts of French national Jean-Baptiste Talleu who went missing from Mumbai on December 5.

Talleu reportedly arrived in the city as part of his bicycle world tour.

“We are contacting bicycle riders’ clubs, checking hotels, lodges and other places where we think he could have spent time while he was in Mumbai. We are also in touch with the Pondicherry police where Talleu was supposed to go from Mumbai,” said Dilip Patil, senior police inspector of Sahar Airport police station.

According to the complaint filed by an acquaintance of Talleu’s brother Vincent, Talleu landed on the Sahar airport on December 4. The following day, he withdrew some money from his bank accounts.

Talleu began his world tour on July 17 last year from the south of France and had visited Italy, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Turkey and Iran, Dubai before reaching the city, police said.

He had spoken to his mother on December 2 from Dubai after which his family has had no news from him, officials added.

Meanwhile, Talleu’s brother Vincent, told the Hindustan Times over the phone from London, “We have no idea what has happened to him. We are unable to contact the French consulate.”

Vincent said that the family was facing a tough time as they couldn’t make it to India for investigations.

“Jean has always been adventurous. He wanted to travel the whole world and so in July last year, he set out on a tour on his bicycle,” Vincent said.