Friends, family pray for missing Elk Grove student
By all accounts, Syed "Zain" Naqi is a normal college student. The American-born son of Indian immigrants, he was preparing to finish his political science degree next semester at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
But on May 1, Naqi went out with friends to the Rebel Bar and Grill on North Clark Street in Chicago - and no one has seen him since.
Friends and family held a vigil at Roosevelt University Thursday for Zain Naqi.
"I am requesting the public help us find our son. That is the purpose of this gathering," said the missing man's father, also named Syed Naqi.
"It's very uncharacteristic that he would just go away like this."
The mood was understandably somber in the meeting room at Roosevelt University, where dozens attended the vigil for "Zain" Naqi.
"Anything that happens to any one of us is shared by all of us," said President Chuck Middleton. He called a two-minute moment of silence at the end "to remember Zain and hope for his quick and speedy return."
Elk Grove Village police continue to investigate the case, but have found no evidence of the whereabouts of Zain Naqi or his green Honda Civic.
On Thursday they confirmed there have been no bank or credit card transactions for Zain; and the family I-PASS unit was left at home with his parents. Had he gone through any I-PASS toll booths without the device, the violations would have shown up by now, police add.
"He goes out maybe once a month, and usually wakes me up when he comes home because he knows I am concerned," said Syed Naqi.
Police said they have checked with Zain's friends at Drake University in Des Moines, where he went for one year, because he liked it there and had said he wished he could go back.
However, no one there has seen Zain, police said.
Jeff Edwards, a political science professor who had Zain in a political theory course, said he "always seemed a very happy, delightful person in class" who seemed determined to finish the semester strongly.
Syed Naqi thanked the Elk Grove Village police for their "untiring effort" in searching for his son.
"A person cannot just vanish without a trace along with a car," he said. "I appeal to anyone out there who has seen something, who knows something. Please come forward."