Kullu: UP tourist’s body found in Parbati river after 35 days
Kullu, February 5
The body of Abhinav Mingwal (27), a tourist from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP), who went missing in Parbati Valley on December 31, was recovered from the Parbati river, near Kasol, yesterday. The body was found in the middle of the river and recovered by the police with the help of a local rescue team and officials of the Fire Department.
Missing since Dec 31
The youth had reached Kasol to celebrate the New Year and lost contact with his family members on the evening of December 31. His relatives had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for a person, who traced his whereabouts.
The youth had reached Kasol to celebrate the New Year and lost contact with his family members on the evening of December 31. His relatives had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the person, who traced his whereabouts. His father was camping here since then and had reportedly left only four days ago. The relatives of the deceased had apprehended foul play in his mysterious disappearance.
The police had constituted an SIT under the chairmanship of Mandi Range DIG Madhusudhan Sharma to investigate the matter.
Kullu Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ashish Sharma said the body of the victim was handed over to his relatives after the post-mortem examination today. He said prima facie no foul play was suspected behind his death. The ASP said the cause of death would be ascertained after the receipt of the post-mortem report.
Many tourists, including foreigners, have mysteriously disappeared from Parbati Valley and never been traced. Justin Alexander Shetler (35) from the USA went missing while trekking in the valley on August 22, 2016. He could not be traced despite extensive search.
The search for missing Polish national Bruno Muschalik (24), who reportedly went missing on August 8, 2015, in Parbati Valley did not yield any results. His father had announced a reward of Rs 1.5 lakh to anyone, who would provide information about the whereabouts of his missing son.
Parbati Valley was given names like “The valley of death” or “Man eater” by certain foreign journals due to the disappearance of around 19 foreigners since 1998. Most unsolved cases were of foreigners, who had not registered themselves with the police before going for trekking.
Murders have also increased in the region. Last year, four murders were reported in the valley — two of tourists, a Nepalese and a local person.
In one of the case, some assailants pelted stones on tourists due to which Rohit Shehrawat (17) of Rohtak was feared washed away in a river.
The police had arrested six persons, including two Nepalese, on July 22 for attacking five tourists going to Kheerganga with an intention to kill them.
