Where Snapdeal employee went missing: Dark, deserted and avoided by locals after sunset

Dipti Sarna, 24, went missing from this spot more than 24 hours ago. Police have traced the GPS location of her phone to Nandgram village, a few kilometres from the spot, where raids have been conducted.

“Shared auto-rickshaws used to stop here. Now we have prohibited them from taking this road to Rajnagar Extension after 8 pm,” said a policeman.

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He added, “We have searched all the agricultural fields and forests along the Hindon Bridge. We have even conducted raids in nearby villages.”

In spite of police teams patrolling the route Thursday, many parts of this 11-km distance wore a desolate look. Three PCR vans were also deployed at the gate of Vaishali metro station at about 8 pm, as metro commuters rushed out and hopped onto auto-rickshaws, mostly shared ones, to surrounding areas.

For the first five kilometres, the road to Hindon Bridge in Ghaziabad is well-lit and lined with residential colonies as well as brightly lit wedding venues.

The approach to Hindon Bridge, however, seems to be deserted, without any pedestrians, shops or colonies along the road. While streetlights dot most of this road, they are missing on a small stretch near a railway bridge.

According to the police and Dipti’s family, this is not a route that shared auto-rickshaws usually take. “After dark, no one takes that road along Hindon Bridge…it gets deserted. Construction of a metro bridge is going on at one side and there are only forests around. Dipti must have been taken on that road,” said her father Narendra.