42-year-old Anil Marla's fate is not known despite extensive search operations by the SDRF, the police, and local volunteers.

New Delhi: A 42-year-old motorcyclist from Hyderabad is reported missing in Himachal after meeting with an accident on July 19 in the Lahaul-Spiti district. His fate is not known despite extensive search operations by the SDRF, the police, and local volunteers.

“The search must not stop till my husband is found,” Marla’s wife, Sumita Sharma, said to Times of India in Lahaul.

She said she last spoke to Marla on July 18 and exchanged texts the next day. “On July 19, Anil told me that he was on his way from Padum to Lahaul. When I tried calling him later that afternoon, his phone was switched off. I kept trying, but there was no response. The next day, I got the news of his accident,” said Sharma.

Marla’s motorcycle apparently veered off the road near Sumdo Mod 3 and plunged into a steep gorge. The fast-flowing stream may have swept him further down towards Tandi, officials fear.

“There were witnesses who saw him fall…I am being told again and again that the terrain is tough and such accidents keep happening on this road. If so, then there has to be some SOP to deal with the aftermath of such situations,” Sharma said.

Search operations on

Teams have been scanning the riverbanks of the valley, and drones are being used to check areas that cannot be reached safely on foot.

“We have not found any trace of the missing biker. Our search operations are continuing with the help of police, SDRF, and drone operators. Every effort is being made to locate him,” said Lahaul-Spiti SP Shivani Mehla.

Vinod’s family has appealed to the district administrations and police in Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, and Mandi in Himachal, as well as Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir, to continue monitoring the river.