DEHRADUN: Nearly a month after MBA student Babita Pandey went missing from the Dayara Bugyal trekking route in Uttarkashi, search teams have intensified operations in the dense and difficult forests around Natin, focusing on areas believed to be possible bear habitats.
Babita, a resident of Ramnagar, has been missing since the night of May 29, when she reportedly stepped out of her tent at Goi Camp around 11 pm and did not return. She had travelled to Uttarkashi with two companions and had visited Lama Top in Harsil and Gangotri Dham before heading to the Dayara Bugyal trek.
A joint team comprising the police, forest department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Quick Response Team (QRT) has now widened the search to include thick forest patches on the left side of the Dayara trekking route.
Officials said the team is rechecking dug-up spots, water tanks, and other suspicious locations inside the forest.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told TNIE, “Since Babita Pandey went missing under mysterious circumstances from the Goi area of Dayara Bugyal on May 29, 2026, extensive search operations have been carried out with the help of the police, NDRF, ITBP, the Army, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, and helicopters. However, no clue has been found so far.”
He added, “We have instructed the search teams to adopt a more technical approach and carry out intensive combing operations while keeping all possible angles in mind.”
On Tuesday, June 23, teams led by CO Janak Singh Panwar and Barkot CO Chanchal Sharma returned to the area for a renewed ground operation. The search covered suspected animal movement zones, water storage points in the forest, and locations earlier marked as disturbed or freshly dug.
Officials said water was poured into previously identified dug-up patches before they were excavated again as part of efforts to rule out every possibility.
CO Janak Singh Panwar said, “The area had been searched earlier as well, but the operation has now been expanded further, considering all possible aspects. While the ground search is continuing, the investigation is also moving forward on the basis of technical evidence.”
Dayara Bugyal, located in Uttarkashi district at an altitude of around 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level, is one of Uttarakhand’s most popular trekking destinations. Often described as a trekker’s paradise, it is known for its snow-covered slopes in winter and lush alpine meadows during summer.
