By SUNIL SONKER
Mussoorie, 8 Sep: Sensation gripped the area near ‘Pani Wala Bend’ on the Mussoorie-Dehradun road on Tuesday morning when a man’s body was discovered near the river in a deep gorge, approximately 200 metres below the road. Upon receiving the information, the police inspected the scene and found an MG Windsor car parked by the roadside. Due to the depth of the gorge and the difficult terrain, teams from the SDRF and Fire Service had to be summoned to retrieve the body. After several hours of effort, the body was safely brought up from the gorge.
The deceased has been identified as Ajay Kumar Kohli (aged around 60), son of Devendra Kumar Kohli, a resident of Cross Road, Dehradun. According to his family, Ajay Kumar Kohli was a businessman in Dehradun and had left home around 7 a.m. on Tuesday for a trip to Mussoorie.
Mussoorie Station House Officer (SHO) Devendra Chauhan stated that around 8:30 a.m., Praveen, a resident of ‘Maggi Point’, reported a car parked near ‘Panchayati Cafe’ on the Dehradun-Mussoorie road—an area where a section of the road is damaged. He reported that a man’s body was visible near the river in the deep gorge, about 200 metres below that spot. Police from the Kolukhet outpost arrived at the scene immediately upon receiving the information.
During the investigation, the car (registration number UK07 HL0343, an MG Windsor) was found at the site. Subsequently, the police descended into the gorge to identify the body. During the probe, the police recovered the deceased’s wallet and mobile phone from inside the car; a half-empty bottle of liquor was also found in the vehicle. The police have included these recovered items and the condition of the car in their investigation.
However, it remains unclear under what circumstances Ajay Kumar Kohli fell into the gorge. Given the damaged section of the road and the deep gorge below, the police are investigating the possibility of an accident, while also considering other potential aspects of the incident. The rescue team faced significant challenges in recovering the body, which was found amidst water and rocks in a ravine. A joint team comprising the SDRF and the Fire Service conducted the recovery operation. A field unit and a ‘108’ ambulance team were also present at the scene.
The police have taken possession of the body and initiated inquest proceedings; a post-mortem examination has been conducted. Police state that the actual cause of death will only be determined after reviewing the post-mortem report and the facts that emerge during the investigation. Currently, the police are investigating the matter while considering all aspects.
