A shocking discovery on the busy Zirakpur-Shimla highway left residents and passersby in a state of alarm on Friday morning. A highly decomposed body was found in a drain near the Sukhna Choe, leading to a major police response and significant traffic disruptions.
Discovery and Initial Response
The grim find was first made by a man crossing a bridge over the Sukhna Choe at approximately 10:45 am. The individual, upon spotting the body, recorded a video and took photographs before alerting the police control room. The first officer to respond was ASI Kuldeep Singh from the Baltana police post.
However, a jurisdictional issue arose as the body was located on the opposite side of the bridge, falling under the Zirakpur police station's limits. This led to the arrival of ASP Gazalpreet Kaur with a full police team. Forensic experts were also summoned to the scene to begin their examination.
A Challenging Recovery Operation
The recovery of the body proved to be an arduous task for the authorities. The remains were situated in the middle of the drain, submerged in water, making safe access extremely difficult. Police and forensic teams struggled for hours to devise a way to reach the spot.
As news of the incident spread, a large crowd gathered on the bridge, causing severe traffic congestion on the crucial Shimla-Zirakpur highway. Vehicular movement was disrupted for hours as police juggled crowd management, traffic clearance, and the complex recovery operation.
After a sustained effort lasting nearly five and a half hours, the body was finally retrieved at around 4:30 pm. The successful recovery was made possible with the assistance of a hydraulic crane. The body was carefully wrapped in tarpaulin, lifted from the drain, and transported to the mortuary at Civil Hospital in Derabassi.
Investigation and Condition of the Body
Preliminary observations by the police indicate that the body appeared to be two to three days old. Prolonged exposure to water had caused significant decomposition, rendering facial features completely unrecognisable and making immediate identification impossible.
Authorities have stated that they are examining all possibilities, including both murder and suicide angles. The investigation is ongoing as police work to establish the identity of the deceased and the circumstances that led to the body being in the drain.
