IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL Writ Petition P.I.L. No. 49 of 2010 Smt. Urmila. ………. Petitioner Versus Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand & others. ..………. Respondents Mr. Bhaskar Chandra Joshi, Advocate holding brief of Mr. Vipul Sharma, Amicus Curiae for the petitioner. Mr. Vinay Kumar, Standing Counsel for the State of Uttarakhand / respondent Nos. 1, 4, 8 & 11. JUDGMENT Coram: Hon’ble Barin Ghosh, C.J. Hon’ble U.C. Dhyani, J. BARIN GHOSH, C. J. (Oral) The mother of Ashish Singh submitted an application bringing to the notice of the Court that, on 26th July, 2009, her son Ashish Singh, aged about 23 years, a student of LL.B., went to Har-ki-Pauri for the purpose of bathing in the river Ganga at around 8’O clock. Since then, whereabouts of Ashish Singh is not known. It was stated that a report of disappearance of Ashish Singh was lodged by one of the companions of Ashish Singh, namely, Puneet Singh and, subsequently, the father of Ashish Singh also furnished a written information; but the matter has not been appropriately investigated. 2. After the said letter was registered as writ petition, directions were issued for filing affidavits. Accordingly, affidavits have been filed, wherefrom, it appears that on receipt of information from Puneet Singh, a search was conducted by the local police authorities in search of Ashish Singh, but the same was of no avail. Subsequently, after receipt of the letter of the father of Ashish Singh, another attempt was made to locate Ashish Singh, but the same was also of no avail. On the last occasion, this Court directed the respondents to disclose the number of dead bodies 2 recovered from river Ganges or elsewhere within the territorial limits of Haridwar from 26th July, 2009 to 15th August, 2009. The State Government has instructed the learned counsel appearing for the State to submit to the Court that 8 such dead bodies were recovered during the period as above and that the photo of Ashish Singh was compared with each of those 8 dead bodies, but none of the dead bodies matched the photo of Ashish Singh. 3. In the circumstances, we think the matter should be closed for whatever could be done by the State police has been done. The writ petition is, accordingly, disposed of. (U.C. Dhyani, J.) (Barin Ghosh, C. J.) 14.11.2011 14.11.2011 G