Rescue team spots body near Manali, not sure if it is the missing trekker from Bengaluru

Manali: A rescue team trying to trace the trekker who went missing near Manali last week has spotted a body close to the Jogini waterfall, police said on Tuesday.

Efforts are underway to ascertain if it is the body of Rahul Ramesh (35) who went missing on September 28 after he went trekking near Manali, they added.

The body spotted by the rescue team is 400 metres down the cliff, so retrieving it is a tedious task. Police personnel along with mountaineers are trying to reach the spot, DSP Manali K D Sharma told PTI on Tuesday.

“It is difficult to go down as there are no natural anchors on the cliff and several ropes have to be tied to get down,” said heliskiing guide and mountaineer Chuni Thakur whose team is assisting the police.

The search operation to trace Ramesh, who hails from Bengaluru, started after one of his friends informed the police that he did not return from his trekking trip, officials said.

The mobile phone of the missing trekker was recovered from the Jogini Fall forest near Manali on September 29. Photographs of the Brigu area near Manali were found on the phone along with messages sent by Ramesh to his brother that he had lost his way, they added.

Ramesh had reportedly come to Manali to participate in the Solang Skyultra event, a marathon held at high altitude, and was preparing for the race. The event was scheduled for September 30 and October 1, the police said.

Locals said a woman was recently attacked near Nagar on the outskirts of Manali and the possibility of an animal attack or falling from the hill cannot be ruled out in Ramesh’s disappearance.