A specialised deep-dive team conducted a search operation on Wednesday in the Ghoi pond to locate Babita Pandey, a 24-year-old MBA student from Nainital who went missing from the Ghoi campsite on the Dayara Bugyal trek around midnight on May 29.
Search Operation Details
The team, comprising members from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, disaster management master trainers, and a quick response team, arrived on Tuesday evening and began operations on Wednesday morning. They utilised boats and divers to scour the pond. Officials reported that a diver descended into the pond, which is approximately seven to eight feet deep, but failed to locate her.
Despite extensive search efforts by the police, forest department, SDRF, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Special Operations Group (SOG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), disaster management teams, drones, and dog squads, Babita remained untraced for the sixth day. The NDRF has since withdrawn its two sniffer dogs from the site.
“Despite the intensive search efforts, no clues regarding Babita’s whereabouts have been discovered,” said SDRF district in-charge JP Bijalwan.
Disappearance and Initial Response
Babita mysteriously disappeared from the campsite last Friday. Her companions, Harmanpreet Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Harmanpal of Srinagar, reported her absence to the trekking agency, which then alerted the emergency helpline 112. A search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the report was received at 8pm on Saturday.
Fake Permit Racket Uncovered
Meanwhile, the investigation has exposed an alleged fake permit racket. Babita’s name and those of her co-trekkers were pasted on an expired physical permit to bypass mandatory registration, environmental fees, and daily trail checks. This revelation has added a new dimension to the case, raising questions about the management of trekking permits in the region.
