He called his parents to say hello from the GO train. Then this international student disappeared

Nearly two weeks ago, after he left the GO train station in Hamilton, Sahil Kumar called his parents as he made his way to Toronto.

He told his mom he was doing fine, missed her cooking, and would call again soon. That was the last time anyone heard from him.

The 22-year-old international student, from the north Indian state of Haryana, had only been in Canada for three weeks when he vanished. 

On May 16, he left downtown Hamilton, where he shared a home with other Indian students, and started his commute to get to class at a Humber College building near Yonge and Bloor streets. 

Surveillance footage later placed him near Yonge and Dundas just after 1 p.m. — walking with a backpack, wearing a white collared shirt and a black jacket.

Then he disappeared.

Kumar's family said he was excited about his future in Canada and had been in weekly contact since arriving in late April. The last WhatsApp call between him and his parents was just minutes before he exited Union Station in Toronto.

"He told us not to worry, that he was settling in well, and would start working soon," his cousin Amit Singh, who lives in the same village of Nandgao in Haryana, told CBC Hamilton.

That call ended at 11:49 a.m. According to police, his phone powered off at 1:31 p.m.

Four days later, Hamilton police issued a missing persons alert for Kumar. It noted that he was unfamiliar with the area, had left his passport and laptop at home, and might have been interested in visiting Toronto's waterfront based on online activity. 

The investigation is now being led by Toronto police. On May 26, they released a video they believe shows Kumar around 1 p.m. on May 16 near Yonge and Dundas, captured by a security camera.

Kumar's family are worried that the most critical hours for searching for Kumar were lost in those early days after his disappearance.

"We only learned on May 22 that the case was being transferred to Toronto police," Singh said. "That was six days after he went missing. He was last seen in Toronto. Why did it take so long?"

A delay the family can't understand

The family also wonders why police can't access more security cameras. 

"We kept asking police if they could check more footage, but were told it's difficult unless the case is converted to criminal," Singh said. "We feel helpless."

According to the family, officers told them privacy laws can make it harder to access commercial or private CCTV footage beyond initial public spaces. They believe reclassifying the case as a criminal investigation would expedite that access.

CBC Hamilton asked Toronto police to comment on the designation of the case and on the access police have to CCTV footage. 

Toronto police said the investigation is ongoing but that releasing details about it could "compromise the investigation or infringe on the privacy of those involved," the service said in an email. 

"We are concerned for Kumar's safety, and we are urging anyone who was in the area of Yonge Street and Dundas Street West around 1:30 p.m. that day to review the video and photos," said an email from media relations officer Stephanie Sayer.

"At this time, there is no evidence to suggest foul play. Officers continue to follow up on all leads and new information as it comes in."

CBC Hamilton also asked Hamilton police for comment on the timeline of the search, including when it may have been transferred to Toronto. It did not receive a response. 

Limits of missing persons investigations

Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife, who helped create Ontario's Missing Persons Act, which came into effect in 2019, said the legislation was intended to give police more tools to investigate when someone vanishes without evidence of a crime connected to the case.

"Before this law, police couldn't access even basic phone or banking records unless a crime was suspected," she said. "This legislation was designed to address that."

But Fife said the act does not currently include language around access to private security footage. That exclusion was due to concerns related to privacy, she said. 

But she understand that international students are particularly "vulnerable" in Canada, she added. 

"That should factor into how we respond," Fife told CBC News this week. 

No news means no peace for the family

Back in Haryana, Kumar's mother has stopped eating due to the stress of his disappearance. His younger brother, who encouraged Kumar to study in Canada, now blames himself, the cousin said. The village where they live has become quiet, suspended in the absence of news, the family said.

"Sahil was not someone who wandered randomly," Singh said. "He was responsible, thoughtful, always looking out for the family. We just want to know where he is. We want someone to take this seriously."

Singh said the family gave power of attorney to the Indian Consulate in Toronto to receive updates on Kumar's case. But days after formal authorization, the family says the consulate called Kumar's father simply to ask for information — not to offer any.

"They should be helping us get answers," Singh said. "But they are asking us what the update is."

The Consulate General of India in Toronto did not respond to a request for comment.

Despite the frustrations, Kumar's father Harish Kumar remains hopeful.

"Whoever the authorities are, I have hope in them," he said, in an interview translated from Hindi.