Nahan/Shimla, Sept 26
The bodies of three youths from Shillai area in Sirmaur district, who drowned in the Yamuna river on September 23, have been recovered after an extensive search operation conducted by the administration with the assistance of SDRF and Army personnel.
According to reports, the three youths — identified as Amit, Kamlesh, and Rajneesh, all residents of Gawali village in Shillai — had gone to take a bath in the Yamuna river near the Gurudwara at Paonta Sahib. They were swept away by the strong river current and went missing.
The incident triggered a massive search operation. Initially, SDRF teams scoured the riverbanks for two days but failed to locate the bodies. Subsequently, the Army was called in to assist. Their efforts led to the recovery of the bodies over the next three days.
The first breakthrough came on September 24, when the body of Amit was found near Kalesar. The second body, belonging to Rajneesh, was recovered on September 25 in the Yamuna near Yamunanagar. Finally, in the early hours of September 26, the body of Kamlesh was recovered near Hathnikund Barrage.
Officials confirmed that Rajneesh and Kamlesh were real brothers, while Amit also belonged to the same village. Amit’s last rites were performed yesterday in his ancestral village. The cremation of Kamlesh and Rajneesh will take place today at the Yamuna Ghat in Paonta Sahib after the post-mortem examination.
The tragic incident has cast a pall of gloom over Gawali village, where the loss of three young lives from the same locality has shocked the community. Authorities have once again appealed to people to exercise extreme caution while bathing in rivers, especially during strong currents.
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