Agartala, Jun 12 : A newly-married couple from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district remains missing nearly two weeks after their vehicle reportedly plunged into the Teesta River in Sikkim amid heavy rainfall, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on May 29 while the couple, Kaushalendra Pratap Singh (29) and Ankita Singh (26), were returning from Lachen to Lachung during their honeymoon. A total of nine people, including the couple and their driver, are yet to be traced.
Kaushalendra is the nephew of BJP leader Ummed Singh, and Ankita is the daughter of Vijay Singh Dubbu from Dhangadh Sarai Chivlaha village. The two were married on May 5 and left for Sikkim on May 25. They reached the Mangan district on May 26.
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According to Kaushalendra’s uncle, Dinesh Singh, the vehicle they were travelling in lost control and reportedly fell into the river during a spell of intense rain on May 29. Alongside the newlyweds, the vehicle carried seven other tourists — two from Uttar Pradesh, two from Tripura, and four from Odisha — as well as the local driver. All remain unaccounted for.
Despite ongoing search efforts by SDRF and NDRF teams, there has been no breakthrough so far. “Even though some of their belongings were found in the hotel, no evidence has emerged to confirm whether they drowned,” said Dinesh Singh.
Family members, who travelled to Sikkim after the incident, have met senior police officers, including DIG Akshay Sachdeva and the local SP. “The family is devastated. We’re still clinging to hope,” Singh added.