PRATAPGARH: A newly-married couple from Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district, who went to Sikkim for their honeymoon, has gone missing after their vehicle reportedly fell into the Teesta River amid heavy rain, officials said on Tuesday.
A search operation is on to find the duo, they added.
The incident took place on May 29 while they were returning from Lachen to Lachung.
A total of nine people, including the couple and their driver, are still untraceable, the officials said.
The missing groom, Kaushalendra Pratap Singh (29), is the nephew of BJP leader Ummed Singh.
He married Ankita Singh (26), daughter of Vijay Singh Dubbu from Dhangadh Sarai Chivlaha village, on May 5.
According to Kaushalendra's uncle Dinesh Singh, the couple left for Sikkim on May 25 by train and reached Mangan district on May 26.
While returning from Lachen on May 29, their vehicle reportedly plunged into the river during a spell of heavy rain.
In addition to the newlyweds, the vehicle was carrying seven other tourists two from Uttar Pradesh, two from Tripura, and four from Odisha along with the local driver. All remain missing.
Despite continuous efforts by SDRF and NDRF teams, no bodies or survivors have been found so far, Dinesh Singh said.
The family members of the missing couple who travelled to Sikkim have met senior police officers, including DIG Akshay Sachdeva and the SP of the area, he said.
"While their belongings were recovered from the hotel, there is no conclusive evidence yet to confirm whether they drowned in the river.
The family back home is devastated and hoping for a miracle," he said.