BSF inspector on his most difficult task — locating his missing son

Noida: For most of his career with Border Security Force, Raghuraj Chauhan (57) has been trained to search, track and persevere in difficult terrain. But nothing prepared him for this mission — hunt the Himalayas for his missing son.

For days, the BSF inspector has been climbing mountain trails, crossing rivers and combing forests in Uttarakhand alongside police and disaster response teams, searching for 28-year-old software engineer Abhishek Chauhan, who vanished during a trek to Pindari Glacier late last month.

The mountains were Abhishek’s refuge. The Noida-based senior software engineer would escape to the Himalayas every few months, swapping office deadlines for winding roads, remote valleys and long treks. His camera was a constant companion.

Now, more than 10 days after he disappeared, the same mountains have become the centre of an increasingly desperate search.

Abhishek, who works with Larsen & Toubro and lives in Sector 80 with a flatmate, left for Bageshwar on May 27. Originally from Shamli in UP, he studied in BSF schools across the country before his family eventually settled in Gandhinagar in Gujarat, where his father is currently posted.

“He never got tired of travelling. We moved cities every few years because of our father’s postings. Most children would dislike that, but bhai developed a love for journeys,” said his sister Poonam Chauhan, a data analyst based in London.

The second of three siblings, Abhishek remained close to a large circle of friends, many of them from defence families. Together, they explored some of the country’s most challenging mountain routes, including Leh-Ladakh and Spiti valley. He usually travelled with companions. Solo trips were uncommon.

“This was one of those rare occasions when he went alone,” Poonam said.

On the evening of May 27, Abhishek called his mother, Jagwati Devi, after reaching Bageshwar. He told her about plans to visit a temple but did not inform his family about the glacier trek, though some friends were aware of it.

That night, he checked into a homestay in Khati, the last inhabited village on the Pindari Glacier route. According to police, the homestay owner arranged for a local resident, Anand Ram, to accompany him the following morning.

On May 28, the two began the trek and camped near the glacier. The next day, while descending towards Khati, Abhishek disappeared.

According to the account given by Anand, the two reached Maliyadhar on their return, about 2km before a halt known as ‘Maggi Point’. Abhishek allegedly stopped behind to take photographs and asked him to walk ahead and prepare food. When he did not arrive even after an hour, the man said he retraced his steps but could not find him. Anand then alerted locals and authorities.

The next day, search teams recovered Abhishek’s camera nearly 80 metres below a steep cliff. Days later, his jacket was found on rocks along the Pindar river downstream. Police suspect he may have slipped into a gorge and been swept away by the river.

His family, however, is still seeking answers.

By the time Raghuraj Chauhan — accompanied by two BSF colleagues and one of Abhishek’s friends — reached Khati on May 31, teams from SDRF, NDRF, police, the forest department and local volunteers were already searching the area. Drones and a dog squad were deployed, but no trace of the engineer was found.

Poonam and her husband, too, flew in from London. Friends and relatives joined the effort. Abhishek was expected to return to Noida by May 30 and resume work the next day.

On June 7, Raghuraj Chauhan submitted a written complaint seeking registration of an FIR against the local resident who accompanied his son, alleging inconsistencies in his account.

The family has sought to know why Abhishek was left alone on a difficult mountain trail and demanded that the man’s phone records, location data and movements after the disappearance be scrutinised. Questions have also been raised about the role of the homestay owner who facilitated the trek.

Relatives have written to the PMO, UP chief minister’s office, and the defence and home ministries, seeking a crime branch probe.

Bageshwar SP Jitendra Mehra said seven teams comprising around 30 personnel are involved in the search. Nearly 25km of the trekking route, along with stretches of the Pindar river, have been combed as well.

“We have questioned the person accompanying Abhishek several times, but no evidence of foul play has emerged so far. All angles, however, are being examined,” Mehra said.

Back in Gandhinagar, Jagwati Devi continues to hold on to hope. “We are not giving up. If he had fallen into the gorge, someone would have found him by now because the search has been so extensive. We are satisfied with the efforts being made and are also doing everything we can.”

Between hope and heartbreak, the Chauhans continue their search — convinced that somewhere beyond the forests, cliffs and riverbeds, Abhishek is still waiting to be found.