Babita Pandey Missing Case: Uttarakhand MBA Student Untraced for 6 Days, Friends Detained As CCTV Video Emerges
A massive search and rescue operation is underway in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a 24-year-old MBA student went missing during a trek to Dayara Bugyal six days ago, with authorities deploying over 150 personnel from multiple agencies to trace her.
A massive search and rescue operation is underway in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a 24-year-old MBA student went missing during a trek to Dayara Bugyal six days ago, with authorities deploying over 150 personnel from multiple agencies to trace her.
Babita Pandey, a resident of Nainital, had travelled to Uttarkashi with two friends, Harmanpal Singh from Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and Harmanpreet Singh from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The group visited Dehradun on May 25 before proceeding to Harsil, Gangotri, and surrounding tourist spots. On May 28, they reached Raithal village and were last captured on CCTV cameras there.
The trio began their trek from Raithal to Dayara Bugyal the following day and spent the night at Goi base camp. Pandey went missing from the camp around midnight. Her two friends have since been detained for questioning following a complaint filed by her family, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Upadhyay confirmed. Uttarakhand: Trekker From Noida Goes Missing on Pindari Glacier Trail, Search On.
MBA Student Missing at Dayara Bugyal
A trekker, identified as Babita Pandey, has been missing since May 29 during a trip to Uttarkashi, and police have taken the two friends who were last seen with her in CCTV footage in for questioning as part of the investigation.
Police said the last CCTV footage of Babita… pic.twitter.com/66B7chsqy8
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150-Member Team, Drones, and Divers Deployed
The search operation involves personnel from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, police, forest department, and disaster management teams. Sniffer dogs and drone surveillance are being used across a five-kilometre radius covering dense forest, trekking routes, and caves. A six-member diving team is separately searching a lake near the Goi campsite. Uttarakhand Road Accident: 3 Killed As Vehicle Falls Into Deep Gorge in Devprayag; Search On for Missing 5 (Watch Video).
Pandey's photograph has been shared across social media platforms. Anyone with information is urged to contact police helpline numbers 01374-222116, 9411112863, or 8193990347, or reach her family at 7465949032.
Trekking Agency Used Fake Permit, Registration Suspended
The case has taken a serious turn following the discovery of permit fraud. The registration of trekking agency Pro Mountain has been suspended after an investigation revealed that Pandey and her companions were sent on the trek using a forged permit.
Uttarkashi District Tourism Officer KK Joshi confirmed that no valid digital permits had been issued for the group on the official 'Explore Uttarkashi' portal. The agency bypassed government regulations and the daily trekker limit of 150 by pasting the names of the trio onto an expired physical permit. When scanned at the checkpost, the QR code pulled up data of previous trekkers, causing initial delays in identifying the group and their handling agency.
Trekking guides and agency associates are currently being questioned. Police are also investigating potential personal dispute or suspicious activity angles in the case.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2026 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
