Darchula Incident: Authorities preparing to search for Dhami using drone

DARCHULA, Aug 9: The security bodies have continued the search for Jayasingh Dhami's body. Dhami went missing in the Mahakali river while crossing it using a tuin (improvised cable bridge) on July 30.

The armed Police Force (APF) and Nepal Police have continued the search towards the Nepal side while the Indian Seema Surakshy Bal (SSB) has been conducting the search towards the Indian side on the bank of the river.

The security bodies have continued the search from Mal of Byas rural municipality-2 up to Khalanga area of Mahakali municipality. 

An investigation team formed by the government to probe the incident said a search for the missing Dhami's body would be carried out using a drone camera for one time. The probe team reached Khalanga, the district headquarters of Darchula, on August 3. It is still in Darchula.

Investigation committee coordinator and Home Ministry joint-secretary Janardan Gautam shared that a search would be conducted using a drone camera for finding Dhami's body.

APF No. 44 Battalion commander, Superintendent Narendra Bom said they were searching for Dhami's body along the river bank using binoculars.

The team has arrived at Darchula with a drone camera, said Gautam, the coordinator of the probe team. The committee is conducting interrogation and taking statements.

It met with the family members of the missing youth and inspected the incident site on the Nepal side last Friday. It is now busy conducting interrogation and writing reports. "The investigation is on. We have been taking information from various people including the security personnel who were close to the incident site that day," he said.

The government had formed the investigation committee on August 1 and it has tasked it to submit a report within 10 days.

"The report might not be ready within the deadline. We will return after the search with the help of the drone camera is over," he said.

Jyotsna Bhatta Joshi, committee member and Chief District Officer, said coordination is being established with the Indian side regarding using drone cameras from Malghat of Byas-2 up to Khalanga, the district headquarters.

The investigation committee has remained in Darchula since a week in the course of its work. It has carried out on-site inspections from both Nepal and India.

Similarly, it has been holding discussions with and collecting information from the district-based political parties, the people's representatives, journalists, human rights activists, locals, eye-witnesses and security bodies regarding the incident.