Bipasha Basu lost and found

The Indian leg of the Olympic Torch Relay here might have passed off without any major hiccups, but the organisers of the event are yet to recover from the trauma they went through on Thursday evening after one of the star torch-bearers, Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, went missing for well over 30 minutes just before the start of her portion of the run near the Red Fort.

Also reported missing along with Bipasha was the general secretary of the Indian Olympic Association, Raja Randhir Singh, and former badminton champion Madhumita Bisht. The panic button was pressed at once and a frantic search launched for the three star torch-bearers. What added to the anxiety of the organisers and other star torch-bearers including former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev who were waiting for the three at the Indian Council of Cultural Relations conference room near ITO was that their mobile phones were also switched off.

“It was a crisis situation. A red alert was sounded as the three were responsible for about 600 metres of the run leading to the Red Fort,” said an insider involved in managing the event.

According to eyewitness accounts available on Friday, it all began at 4 p.m. on Thursday — the reporting time for the 23 star torch-bearers to carry the flame from Raj Ghat to Red Fort at the Azad Bhavan headquarters of ICCR. According to insiders, all 23 reached the ICCR collection point in time. As per schedule, they were to go in a bus ahead of the relay, get down at their starting points, and, after handing over the torch, get into another bus trailing them. “All torch-bearers, except these three, followed the schedule like disciplined soldiers,” an official said on Friday.

It is learnt that around 4-15 p.m. Mr. Randhir Singh arrived at Azad Bhavan. After reporting to the officials concerned, he is said to have quietly slipped out along with Bipasha and Madhumita in his vehicle without informing anyone. When it was time for the big bus to leave, the organisers noticed that the three were not there. Frantically they searched for them across the premises, but could not find them. Even their phones were switched off.

“This created panic and messages were flashed all over. As they were celebrities, we could not have replaced them. After waiting for some time, it was decided that the bus should leave as scheduled as time was running out,” the official said. Much to the relief of the organisers, a message was received at 4-50 p.m. that Mr. Randhir Singh along with Bipasha and Madhumita had reached the Red Fort well in time as their relay leg of about 600 metres was to start at 5-15 p.m. It is not known where they were during this period.

A secret note on this “break of discipline” is being sent up now to the higher authorities in the Union Government, it is learnt.