Uttarkashi: A massive search operation was underway for a 23-year-old MBA student who went missing under mysterious circumstances five days ago during a trek to Dayara Bugyal here, officials said on Wednesday. Police registered a case and detained her two travel companions for questioning following a complaint by her family. Authorities suspended the registration of the trekking agency, Pro Mountain, after it was found that the group was sent on the trek using a “forged permit”.
According to the police, the missing student, Babita Pandey, a resident of Nainital district, had gone to Uttarkashi with her two friends, Harmanpal Singh of Udham Singh Nagar district and Harmanpreet Singh of Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur. After visiting Harsil, Gangotri and nearby tourist spots, the three stayed in Raithal village on May 28. CCTV cameras last showed Pandey with her friends in Raithal village. On May 29, the three started their trek from Raithal to Dayara Bugyal and stayed the night at Goi base camp. Around midnight, Pandey went missing from the camp, the police said.
A 150-member search team comprising personnel from the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, police, forest department and disaster management has been deployed since the incident was reported on May 30. Despite manual searches, sniffer dogs and drone surveillance across a five-kilometre radius of dense forest, steep slopes, trekking routes and caves, there were no clues that could lead to Pandey’s whereabouts. Search operations are now focusing on a lake near the Goi camp site. A six-member diving team from the SDRF has been deployed with modern equipment to search the depths of the lake, the police said.
Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Upadhyay said a case was registered under Section 140(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Pandey’s two companions were detained for questioning. The police are investigating a personal dispute angle or any other suspicious activity. Trekking guides and individuals associated with the agency were also being questioned, the SP said. Uttarkashi District Tourism Officer K. K. Joshi said that inquiries revealed no valid digital permits had been issued for Pandey or her companions on the official tourism portal, ‘Explore Uttarkashi’.
