Uttarakhand MBA Student Missing During Dayara Bugyal Trek For 6 Days; 2 Friends Detained, Search Continues

Dehradun: A 24-year-old MBA student went missing during a trek to Dayara Bugyal in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi six days ago. A search operation is underway to find her, with police detaining two of her friends for questioning after a complaint by her family.

Babita Pandey, a resident of Nainital, had gone to Uttarkashi with her two friends, Harmanpal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh, according to NDTV.

The trio first went to Dehradun on May 25 and later visited Harsil, Gangotri, and nearby tourist spots, according to Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Upadhyay.

They then went to Raithal village on May 28 and stayed there. They were last seen together on CCTV cameras in Raithal.

A day later, they started their trek from Raithal to Dayara Bugyal, one of the popular treks in Uttarakhand, and stayed the night at Goi base camp. Around midnight, Pandey went missing from the camp, Upadhyay said.

A 150-member team comprising personnel from the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and the forest department has been involved in an extensive search operation to locate the woman.

Investigators are also using sniffer dogs and drone surveillance across a five-kilometre radius of the dense forest, trekking routes, and caves to find Pandey.

The police have also issued her picture on social media platforms and asked the public to help find her.

Helpline numbers

Anyone who finds anything about Pandey has been asked to contact the following helpline numbers: 01374-222116, 9411112863, or 8193990347, or they can contact her family members at 7465949032.

Registration of trekking agency suspended

The registration of the trekking agency, Pro Mountain, has also been suspended after it was found that Pandey and her friends were sent on the trek using a fake permit.