Bhaderwah: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday claimed to have solved the alleged case of drowning of a family in Doda into Chenab which turned out to be fake. The head of the family faked the accident to evade huge debt.
The police, in a statement, said that they brought back the couple along with their daughter from Panchkula Haryana who were reported to have drowned after their car plunged into river Chenab near Gadsoo Doda on NHW-244.
While giving details, the Police said that on 20-12-2022, one Alto Car bearing Regd No JK 06A- 6311 plunged into Chenab River near Gadsoo Doda on NHW-244. On the receipt of this information, case FIR No 182/2022, U/S 279, 304-A IPC was registered in Police Station Bhaderwah.
Immediately after the receipt of information of the accident, SSP Doda, DC Doda, ASP Bhaderwah and other senior officers and rescue teams were made to rush to the site of the accident who pressed men and machinery into service to launch the rescue operation.
“During the inspection of the spot police team found one broken number plate of the vehicle, two ID cards, D/L and eShraman card of namely Manjeet Singh son of Pritam Singh resident of village Sengoi, Bhalara Bhaderwah and one purse from the spot where the vehicle had rolled down into River Chenab,” the statement said.
With the help of a recovery vehicle, the car was retrieved from Chenab River after hectic efforts of rescue teams using boats of SDRF but no dead body or luggage was found inside the said vehicle.
“Alongside the investigation, the search was continued in Chenab River with boats of SDRF. It was presumed that on 20-12-2022, Manjeet Singh son of Pritam Singh, Age 31 years, his Wife namely Sonia Devi and daughter Age 6 years were travelling in the said car from Bhaderwah to Jammu. However, none of them was traced out dead or alive,” the police said.
The police said that other aspects of the missing family were also enquired like financial condition etc. and during the investigation it transpired that the said Manjeet had taken large amount of loan (approx. 30 Lakhs) to establish his business from different banks and private lenders.
“Moreover, the financial condition of Manjeet Singh was also not good and thus with the usage of CCTV footage, technical team of cyber cell Doda was also put to the task and after getting technical lead, SSP Doda constituted a team led by IC PP Bhalla PSI Ankush Kumar Sharma under the supervision of SHO Bhaderwah Inspector Jatinder Singh to search the missing person in Punjab/Haryana,” the police said.
It said that after hectic efforts with the help of Haryana Police, the trio were located and found alive in village Abhaypura, Phase-1, Panchukala, Haryana. “They were brought back within 24 hours. Further investigation into the matter is going on. Proceedings under relevant sections shall be followed,” the police said. The police further said that proceedings under relevant sections shall be followed.