THREE YEARS

Dear friends,

On the 5th of december it will be the third anniversary of the disappearance of our son Jean Baptiste. First of all, Pierre and I would like to express our deep gratitude for all your support, whether material or spiritual.

Over these three years, we went three times in India: fifteen days in May 2008 with Vincent, our sixth child and Patricia his fiancée; four months in the winter 2008-2009, then three months in the winter 2009-2010 (which included one month with Jean Baptiste’s twin: Catherine).

We had contact with indian police and media, consulate authorities and press conferences. We did enquiries and went to the places where witnesses believed to have seen Jean Baptiste but all in vain. Often it was really difficult but this has allowed us also to discover India, and to be moved by this country.

During these trips, we have come close to an orphanage in Pondicherry and we are now sponsoring a little girl called Kaveri. We have met beautiful Indian people. They helped and supported us a lot. Many became friends.

We don’ forget that all these journeys have been possible thanks to all your help and we are very grateful. During these difficult years, you have supported us materially, spiritually, and encouraged us to keep our faith. We thank you from the core of our heart.

Now that the anniversary is coming soon, all our thoughts are with Jean Baptiste and we would like to do something.

During the year of 2010, a mess has been celebrated in the memory of Jean Baptiste every saturday morning in the church Notre dame des anges of Pondicherry. We will do the same for 2011.

Again we asked the Embassy to make a search in the media around the fifth of december.

Because we will not be in India this year for this sad anniversary, we have decided to start at home a three week retreat: to fast and pray, from the 15^th of november to the fifth of december, in order to feel our union through the heart with Jean Baptiste, and ask God for a sign.

Three years, three weeks, this number three, like the three days of search of Marie and Joseph unto the temple of Jerusalem where Jesus is finally found after three terrible days of anxiety for his parents, three days mysteriously was the will of god.

We have all lost dear ones, it is part of life. But it is not knowing what happened to Jean Baptiste that is really painful for us.

We pray for all the families who are in pain, and for all the people who disappeared and who were sometimes violently taken away from their families. We pray for all the people who have been ill treated, abused and confined. They are many of them in this world.

And we thank you particularly to support us during these three weeks by your affection, prayers or accepting to come and fast one day with us.

We will end this retreat by a mess for Jean Baptiste in the chapel Jean Paul II under the basilic Notre Dame de Lourdes, on saturday 11^th of december at 16.30h.

It is the priest Sayed Marroun, a lebanese father who knew Jean Baptiste well who will celebrate this mess. It will be a special celebration for Jean Baptiste, on the day of his 29^th birthday. You are all welcome to come and pray with us and unite our hearts together.

With all our affection,

Thank you,

Marie-Claire and Pierre Marie Talleu, in Villers les Nancy, on the 14 novembre 2010.

Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

February 12th 2010

French cyclist on world tour missing in India : What does the Indian Police do ?

Parents of Jean-Baptiste TALLEU, the young cyclist who disappeared in India since December 2007 are currently in DELHI. It is the last stop of their trip that took them to MUMBAI, AMEDHABAD, PONDICHERY, and GOA. It is the 3^rd time they come to India looking for their son.

With no serious leads, and little resources, parents of Jean-Baptiste are trying to exchange information with the Indian authorities and local people to increase the awareness of this painful and alarming disappearance. They have 7 children.

Jean-Baptiste, a keen cyclist on a world tour, mysteriously disappeared in December 2007 when he set foot in India. He has never been heard of since his arrival.

The Indian police who has been referred in the beginning of 2008, does not seem to actively take part into the effort to shed some light on the case and to find this young man who was 26 yrs old when he went missing.

French police officers were sent by Rogatory commission from Nancy (France) to Mumbai in November 2009 to evaluate the situation with the Indian police. Despite what they were promised, the French police still haven’t been given the Indian case file that would help them find out the nature of the investigation that has been carried out by the Indian police.

Jean-Baptiste’s parents are very disappointed in view of the inactivity and obvious lack of motivation when it comes to finding the truth; they don’t feel like everything is done to help find their son. On their journey the parents of Jean-Baptiste often realized that the missing posters, when they exist, are kept in files or drawers, allowing very few policemen in India to be aware of the matter.

Keeping through thick and thin the hope to find their son alive, or at least to find out what has happened to him, they deeply thank the media for conveying their feelings and thus contributing in this case not getting closed. Contacts:

-French Embassy in New Delhi : Tel: 011 6118790

-Missing person bureau in Mumbai : ………022 2262 1549

-French consulate in Mumbai : …098 2032 1452

-For further information visit the website www.missingjbtalleu.com

-Contact in India : Hotel Rak International, Paharganj, main bazaar, where parents are staying.

-Tel Mr. & Mrs Talleu : India Phone Number - 00919600515513 till 20 February 2010

- France phone Numbers - 0033383406584 and Mobile 0033622078234

- email address - mctalleu@gmail.com

CONSULAT GÉNÉRAL DE FRANCE À BOMBAY

MISSING

Jean-Baptiste Talleu

Still no information on Jean-Baptiste Talleu!

The disappearance of Mr. Jean-Baptiste Talleu, a French citizen, who was last seen on 5th December 2007 in Mumbai is a mystery.

The recent intervention by the French police allowed for the viewing of the effort put in by the Indian police but unfortunately still no trail nor clue that would help solve the mystery of his disappearance.

A description of Mr. Jean-Baptiste Talleu has been put up on the websites of the Embassy and
the Consulates General of France in India, as well as at all the Alliances Françaises in order to facilitate the search and enable any person who might have any information whatsoever in this regard, to come forward. A website is dedicated entirely to him: www.jbtalleu.com

We make an appeal once more to all persons likely to have any useful information on him. The parents of Jean-Baptiste Talleu want to relay this appeal directly to the media and on the eve of the 2nd anniversary of his disappearance, talk about their project that would help them continue their search for him, and should the need arise, also help other isolated people travelling in India.

I request you to kindly be present for the press conference organised on:

4th December, 2009 at 11 am
The Alliance française de Bombay,
Theosophy Hall, 40 New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400 020.

RSVP:
Ms. Snehal Agrawal Sharma
Deputy Press Attaché
Consulate General of France in Bombay
7th flr., Hoechst House, Nariman Point.
Tél: 022 6669 4026/ 98 69 05 19 25
Mél: snehal.agrawal@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Finally in Mumbay

The parents of Jean-Baptiste have arrived on sunday 22nd of November 2009 in Mumbai, this is their third visit in India since Jean-Baptiste has disapeared.

They will be meeting with the Indian and French police, to meet with the French police superintendent who has been sent to India to investigate.

This 3rd visit will be easier for them as Marie-Claire has been learning English and finally manages to go pass the language barrier. They are already starting laying posters, giving away flyers, and doing everything they can to find their missing son.

Their local phone number: 00919600515513

OPERATION ITINERANT QG

All-terrain vehicle scheme dedicated to Jean-Baptiste

In search of their son Jean-Baptiste, disappeared in India on the 5th of December 2007, the third visit to India of Pierre and Marie-Claire Talleu is being organised, based on their experience from previous visits.

India is a huge country, and we had our share of communication and accommodation troubles.

The alternative of a recreational vehicle, or rather an all-terrain equipped (or converted) van, set as a real QG touring, would be ideal. An idea is put forward….now we need to find the funds.

« We thought that travelling ourselves around India in a clearly visible vehicle would be the best means of communication. Indians are very curious and benevolent. The vehicle, preferably all-terrain, to be able to progress on the bad roads, with many large missing posters attached would attract itself press and TV wherever we go.

We could hand out leaflets in big quantities. Indian people ask for them and they listen attentively. They don’t throw them away but fold them and put carefully in their pockets. We have seen many people taking their mobile phones and adding the telephone number indicated on the leaflet to the contact list and taking picture of the Jean-Baptiste image.

The vehicle would need to be equipped at least with the minimum to allow sleeping inside. It is not necessary to have a real recreation vehicle. A solid car is needed, not at all luxurious that would draw attention only to the images of Jean-Baptiste.

Thus we would always have the communication with us and we would be exceptionally mobile and continuously visible, which is the aim of the search. It was the lack of mobility that bore upon us on our previous visits.

Veera, a Parsi friend who speaks English, French, Hindi and Marathi, offers to join us on a voluntary basis. She already proved herself a great helper during our meetings with the Mumbai Police.

While we can’t spend a whole year in India, we think that this vehicle dedicated to Jean-Baptiste should stay there and be available to whoever would accept take over this mission when we’re not there.

The French travellers we met often helped us and offered to take flyers with them.

We are convinced young travellers would be delighted to be able to discover India (often for a 6 month period, because of visa), in this useful vehicle dedicated in the search of Jean-Baptiste; or maybe students for their work experience in communication for example.

This project first formed on our last trip, where we faced difficult realities. But nothing is impossible when you really want it.

Thank you for helping us achieve this project for Jean-Baptiste.

Marie-Claire et Pierre Marie Talleu

The articles talk about!

Here is a list of articles that speak of Jean-Baptiste, are links to PDF documents.

May 2009 :
- Est Républicain

February 2009 :
- Journal Indien

December 2008 :
- Malai Matlar
- Press Club
- The New India Express
- Dina Thanti
- Malai Matlar

October 2008 :
- Pelerin Magazine

May 2008 :
- Nice Matin
- Est Républicain
- Times of India
- Nice Matin
- DNA

April 2008 :
- Est Républicain
- Times of India
- Times of india
- ONA

March 2008 :
- France Dimanche
- Aujourd'hui en France
- Le Figaro
- FPJ
- France Soir
- Est Républicain
- Le Républicain Lorrain

Press conference in February

Fifty-five-year old Marie Claire can barely hide her tears, while daughter Catherine cannot control them. Marie's son and Catherine's twin brother Jean-Baptiste Talleu has been missing for over a year now. The family had registered a complaint in December 2007.

"We often hope, but there has been no concrete news tracing him, the police told us," says Catherine.

Talleu, who would turn 27 this year, had set out on a world wide tour on his cycle in July 2007. He travelled through Europe, Iran, Dubai and was headed for Pondicherry via Mumbai before he disappeared.

Talleu had last called his mother from Dubai on December 2.

Marie and her husband Pierre have been putting up posters announcing a reward of Rs 2 lakh at various places for the past three months now. They have also travelled from Varkala in Kerala to New Delhi where Talleu was reportedly seen, but to no avail.

"We were disappointed, we believed the story of the man who called with information to be true," says Catherine.

The Claire family has even searched near Mumbai's Goregaon East area where he had last withdrawn money from an ATM. Though the French police hasn't been given permission to investigate Jean's disappearance in India, his parents are not giving up.

Catherine says, "We will stay back here and pursue the matter with the police."

Marie and Pierre hope to find their son alive some day, even if it means managing with whatever little English they know.