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Missing Tripura tourist’s body found in Nagaland’s Dzükou Valley: Police
The 22-year-old Tripura tourist went missing after visiting Dzükou Valley on January 4; his body was recovered after extensive search operations by police and volunteers.
Kohima: The body of a 22-year-old tourist from Tripura who had gone missing in Nagaland’s scenic Dzükou Valley in Kohima district in January was recovered on Saturday morning, police said.
The deceased, identified as Pranab Das, a resident of Malaynagar, Nepali Tilla, under Srinagar district in West Tripura, reportedly went missing after visiting Dzükou Valley on January 4.
Police said the case originated from a missing complaint lodged on January 6 at the South Police Station, Kohima.
Das, who had arrived in Kohima on January 2 and checked into a homestay, was last seen at the Dzükou ticketing counter in Viswema village.
“Further verifications confirmed that he had booked an entry ticket to Dzükou Valley on the same day from the Viswema entry point. Technical analysis, including call detail record, CAF, bank account verification and examination of available CCTV footage from nearby establishments, was carried out. Kohima Police, in close coordination with the Southern Angami Youth Organization (SAYO), district administration and Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), also conducted multiple search and rescue operations in Dzükou Valley. Drone-assisted searches were also undertaken covering difficult and inaccessible terrain. Despite sustained efforts, the missing person could not be traced during earlier operations,” Kohima Police said in a statement issued on Saturday.
His body was spotted on the riverbank below the Dzükou Valley helipad on Friday. Subsequently, police said a coordinated team comprising Kohima Police, the district administration and youth volunteers from neighbouring villages proceeded to the valley and reached the location in the early hours of Friday morning.
“During spot verification, personal belongings including a Dzükou Valley entry slip in the name of Pranab Das, two mobile handsets with mouthpieces, a brown wallet containing cash and identification documents were recovered, confirming the identity of the deceased,” a police officer said.
The family members of the deceased have been informed and have reportedly requested that the postmortem be conducted after their arrival. The body is currently being kept at the Kohima Police Station morgue, awaiting the arrival of relatives for further legal formalities, the officer added.
