5 quizzed over disappearance of Nagpur woman near LoC village in Kargil

SRINAGAR: Authorities in Kargil have questioned five local residents in connection with the disappearance of a 43-year-old woman from Nagpur, Sunita Bholewshwar Jamgade, who is suspected to have either crossed the Line of Control (LoC) from Hunderman village in Ladakh amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, or drowned in the Suru River, which flows into the neighbouring country.

Officials in Ladakh said they received information about a woman going missing from Hunderman, following which they investigated all leads and questioned the five locals who were in contact with her. However, all five were let off as police prima facie found they had no role in her disappearance. Cops searched the area, but found no trace of her.

Reports suggest Sunita had previously attempted to cross into Pakistan via Attari in Amritsar. She was detained by a BSF jawan, and let off after interrogation.

Sunita and her 15-year-old son had reportedly checked into a Kargil hotel on May 9. On May 15, police issued a lookout notice saying they had received information “through a reliable source” that the boy had stated that his mother had been missing since around 3 pm on May 14.

The teen is currently in the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Kargil. Police sources said he would be handed over to his guardians from Nagpur through the Kargil CWC, which was in touch with its counterpart in the Maharashtra district.

Hunderman village, located along the LoC, has witnessed multiple visits from senior police officers since Sunita went missing. It is a well-known tourist destination in Kargil and is famous for its war museum. Along the road leading to Hunderman, visitors often stop at the LoC Viewpoint, established by the tourism department of the Union Territory of Ladakh.