Army divers from the Special Forces based in Nahan have recovered the body of a young man who went missing on Thursday while bathing in Renuka Ji Lake in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
Recovery Operation
On a request from the civil administration, a diving team from 1 PARA (SF) was deployed to Renuka Ji Lake to assist in locating the 21-year-old resident of Dadahu, identified as Sumit, according to the Army.
Despite challenging underwater conditions, the team conducted an extensive search and successfully recovered the body, enabling its handover to the family through local police authorities, the Western Command stated on Saturday.
Incident Details
According to local police, Sumit had gone to the lake to bathe with friends. When he did not emerge from the water, a search operation was launched. The youth's clothes, shoes, and mobile phone were found on the steps of Sanan Ghat.
About 1 PARA (SF)
1 Para (Special Forces), also known as the Red Devils, is among the oldest and most distinguished units of the Indian Army's Parachute Regiment. The unit has undertaken numerous high-risk missions in aid to civil authorities, including the famous cable car rescue in Himachal Pradesh in the early 1990s.
The battalion, currently based at Nahan in Himachal Pradesh as part of the Western Command, traces its origins to 1761 when it was raised as part of the 2nd Punjab Regiment. It now specializes in urban warfare, counter-terrorism, and direct-action operations.
After independence, it formed part of the 50 Parachute Brigade and participated in the 1947-48 operations against Pakistan. The unit is well known for its role in capturing the strategic Haji Pir Pass in the Uri Sector during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. It was converted into a Special Forces unit in 1978 and was also deployed to Jaffna in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.
