A young woman who went missing on the popular Daara Bugyal trek route in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district has not been found even after six days. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 24-year-old MBA student Babita Pandey has deepened.
Meanwhile, police have detained two friends who accompanied him on the trek for questioning based on his family’s complaint. Forest department, local administration, police and rescue forces are searching for Babita.
According to police sources, Babita was on a trekking expedition in Dayara Bugyal with a trekking group. The victim went missing from the Guy campsite area while trekking on the night of May 29. Guy was last seen on CCTV at the camp site. Since then others cut off contact with him.
The victim’s family filed a complaint against the two men who accompanied Babita, a resident of Nainital, on the trek. Police have detained two passengers, Harmanpreet and Harmanpal, for questioning. It is unknown if investigators found inconsistencies in their statements. However, the police are looking into all possible aspects. Investigators have not ruled out accidents, wild animal attacks or criminal activity.
Another sensational information came out in the investigation. Authorities claimed to have recovered expired trekking permits in the name of Babita and her two companions. Old permits were allegedly used with new names attached to them to avoid mandatory registration, environmental fees and other restrictions. The incident has also raised questions about the existence of fake trekking permit ring in Uttarkashi.
According to police and administration sources, it is not clear whether Babita’s disappearance was an accident or some other reason behind it. Therefore, investigators are checking every part of the track route.
Babita arrived in Dehradun with friends on May 25 and later visited several tourist spots including Harshil and Gangotri. Reach Raithal village on 28th May and spend the night. Babita was last seen on CCTV footage.
On May 29, the trio started their trek from Raithal to Diara Bugyal and spent the night at the base camp. According to the police, Babita suddenly disappeared late at night. Since then I can’t find him.
The deceased has been identified as 20-year-old Arun Kumar, a resident of the area. A team of about 150 people, including members of the Army, ITBP, SDRF, NDRF, police, forest department and disaster management department, is currently conducting the search operation. Drones, sniffer dogs, special climbing teams and diving teams have also been deployed. The search continues despite the remote mountainous terrain, dense forests and adverse weather conditions. Uttarkashi Police said that the search will continue until the missing girl is found.
The incident has raised fresh questions about security measures, tourist registration process and trekking permit management on popular trekking routes in Uttarakhand.