His mother paid several visits to Agra and met senior officials but till date the police is clueless about his whereabouts.

 It is now learnt that the Japanese embassy has approached the Allahabad High Court to help speed up investigations and transfer the case if need be. The HC has asked for the details of the case and expressed displeasure at the slow pace of proceedings, in a letter to the DIG Agra.

 The Taj Ganj police has not been able to summon the suspects and interrogate, despite several pleas from the prosecution.

 Investigating officer of the Sadar bazar police station said "no new information is available. We have already publicized on the TV and through the newspapers to contact people who have any information about the case, but so far no fresh input is available."

 Concerned police officials denied there was any initiative by the courts in the matter. DIG Antony Dev Kumar told Agratoday.in, "There has been no further movement in the case. We would need to check up what information is required by the court. As of date, no information is available with us."

However, talking to Agratoday.in, ADJ (additional district and session judge) Mukesh Mishra said "we have sent out a letter to the IO and the DIG warning them to produce witnesses and speed up the case, or face the consequences. The next date is December 2."

Tourism circles however feel, the Japanese tourist might have been kidnapped and killed. "Some of the young tourists from Japan and Korea and other south-east Asian countries do often become victims of drug peddlers and homosexuals. Many of them come not so much to see monuments but for other exotic experiences. This lands them into trouble," an elderly guide told Agratoday.in.

Two years ago, three Korean girls were trapped by local touts, raped and assaulted. Police later had said they had become friendly with some local boys who were entertaining them.

In Agra "several women from these countries have married locals and settled down here," a tourist photographer informed. In Khajuraho, where most tourists go from Agra, the percentage of foreigners marrying locals is fairly high. "Out of a population of around 10 to 12,000, the number of such couples could be as high as 6 to 7 per cent. The reasons could be sexual attraction. Mostly it’s the girls from these countries who marry the local boys. One of our saleman has a Japanese wife," says a photography shop owner Vishal.