Gopeshwar (Uttarakhand), Jul 14 (PTI) The body of a 22-year-old youth was found hanging from a tree near the Hemkund Sahib Yatra route, triggering protests and demands for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation, officials said on Monday.
The deceased, identified as Manoj Singh Bisht, had gone to Hemkund Sahib in search of employment, police said. His body was found in a forested area near the Yatra route on Sunday.
Following the incident, angry locals took to the streets in Gopeshwar on Monday, demanding justice for the victim and strict action against those responsible. They accused the police of negligence and delay in tracing the missing youth.
According to the family, Bisht had been missing since June 29, and a complaint had been lodged with the police. They alleged that the authorities were slow to act in locating him.
A large group of people from Nandanagar gathered in Gopeshwar and held a demonstration, raising slogans such as "Give justice to Manoj and punish the culprits". They later submitted a memorandum to Chamoli District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, demanding a CBI inquiry.
Chamoli Superintendent of Police Sarvesh Panwar said that based on a complaint filed by Bisht's family on Monday, a case has been registered against a mule operator, for whom Manoj used to work. Action has been initiated, he added.
Panwar assured that the investigation is being conducted impartially and transparently, and that no one found guilty will be spared.
He further said that the post-mortem of the body, conducted by a panel of doctors, was videographed. A missing person report had earlier been registered at Govindghat police station on July 6, and search efforts had been ongoing since then.