Surveyor’s body found in Kutch desert, over 100 hours after he went missing

Around noon, his assistant told him he could not walk further. Pal wanted to cover another 500 metres and decided to venture ahead alone. That was the last anyone saw of the 55-year-old from West Bengal.

Around 100 hours of extensive search later, Pal’s body was found in the desert on Thursday. Officials said he succumbed to dehydration.

The incident comes almost a year after an Assistant Commandant of the BSF Vishwa Deo and head constable Dayal Ram died of heat stroke while patrolling the international border north of Harami Nala in Kutch on foot, in July. Similar to what happened to Pal, the BSF patrol party’s water stock had run dry.

On Friday morning, Pal’s body was handed over to his family at GG General Hospital in Jamnagar after a post-mortem examination. He was a resident of Bardhaman district and an employee of Bhaskaram Jyotish Anusandhan Kendra Pvt Ltd (BJAKPL), a Maharashtra-based firm, which is a sub-contractor for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), said police officers. Pal had been staying in Rapar in Kutch as part of the current project.

On Sunday morning, Pal, his assistant Chhelaram Mithalal Tavar, and their driver first went to the Bela Border Outpost. Here, they made an entry in the BSF log book, which is mandatory for those travelling further towards the border – about 40 km away, said police. The three-member team was travelling from Bela BOP to another outpost of the BSF, they added.

“There comes a point between the two BOPs from where the jeep cannot travel further into the desert and so, the rest of the way had to be surveyed on foot. Leaving the driver behind in his jeep, Pal and the assistant proceeded on foot,” said Sagar Sambada, the Deputy SP of Bhachau Division of Kutch East Police.

A short while later, the assistant called up the driver for water. The driver walked up to Pal and Tavar, gave them water, and went back to the vehicle, said police.

“However, there came a time, towards noon, when the assistant got tired and said he could not walk further. Pal wanted to cover another 500 metres. So, he went ahead alone,” said the police officer.

“He said he would return shortly, but he never did,” added Sambada.

With no sign of Pal, the assistant called up the driver who went back to Bela BOP and alerted the BSF.

Since the surveying team’s jeep was not allowed to venture after a certain distance, the BSF vehicle went into the desert and picked Tavar up. They then began the search for Pal.

A missing complaint, meanwhile, was filed at Balasar police station.

Forces from various quarters were deployed with more than 40 police personnel, complementing the BSF, and officials from the Forest Department searching an area of over 12 square km from where Pal was estimated to have gone missing.

“Apart from the desert, there is also a shoulder of hills about 8 km from the site he was last seen in… so, the search was conducted there as well,” said police. “At the same time, we also restricted movement in the entire search grid to preserve footprints,” said DySP Sambada.

The search teams faced weather woes, too. “The temperature was about 50 degrees in the desert and the search could only be conducted in limited time periods, from 6-11 am and 6-8 pm,” said the officer.

Pal’s body was finally found on Thursday at 6 pm by constable Natwarji Velaji of Rapar police station. An Accidental Death (AD) report has been filed at Balasar police station.