Uttarakhand: Body of missing local journalist found after 10 days from barrage
Uttarkashi superintendent of police Sarita Dobhal confirmed that no visible injury marks were found on the body.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Sunday recovered the body of a local journalist from the Joshiyara barrage on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi district.
The deceased, identified as Rajiv Pratap (36), ran a YouTube channel named ‘Delhi Uttarakhand Live’ and had been missing since September 18.
His uncle Kripal Singhh had registered an FIR at the Uttarkashi police station on September 20 under Section 140(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person).
Singh said Pratap was a well-known journalist who had taken his friend Soban Singh’s Alto car on September 18 and headed towards Gangori. The vehicle was recovered from the Bhagirathi river near Gangori on September 19.
In his complaint, Singh alleged that Pratap, known for fearless reporting on local issues, had made several enemies. He claimed the journalist had been pressured to remove a video highlighting poor conditions at Uttarkashi hospital and had no reason to travel towards Gangori on the day he went missing.
SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said that on September 19, the district control room reported a vehicle submerged in the river near Gangori, possibly with a driver inside. Rescue teams launched an immediate operation with the necessary equipment but were unable to locate the missing person at the time.
“The team continued an intensive search across the river and nearby areas for several days. On Sunday, the body was recovered from the Joshiyara barrage and handed over to the district police,” Yaduvanshi said.
Uttarkashi superintendent of police Sarita Dobhal confirmed that no visible injury marks were found on the body, adding that the body had been sent for postmortem and further action would follow based on the report.
