The body of former Deputy Speaker and Forest Minister of Sikkim, R.C. Poudyal has been finally found dead floating on the Teesta River in Bangladesh .
Poudyal, 80 who was last seen on Sunday, July 7, went missing after leaving his residence in Chota Singtam, Sikkim, to visit his elder sister.
The partially decomposed body was found along the banks of the Teesta River in Gobordhan village of Mahishkhocha union in the Bangladeshi Upa-zila on Monday. The body got stuck on the sand as the river's water level receded.
“Prima facie, it is suspected that the body might have been carried downstream by the Teesta river. Identification was made through his watch and clothing,” a West Bengal police official stated.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to search for the veteran politician after he went missing on July 7 from his hometown of Chota Singtam in Pakyong district, police said.
“The investigation into the death will continue,” the officer added.
Failing to return home, his family reported his disappearance to the Pakyong District police.
An extensive search ensued, led by the Sikkim Police under the guidance of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) and Superintendent of Police Karma Gyamtso Bhutia.
Efforts included monitoring the Teesta River after receiving information that Poudyal had been sighted in Rangpo the day following his disappearance.
Bangladesh residents locate body floating on Teesta river
On Monday, residents of Mahishkhocha near Gobordhan village in Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh noticed a body floating in the Teesta River.
The Bangladesh Police recovered Poudyal's body, believed to have been carried downstream by the Teesta River, and alerted authorities in West Bengal.
This information was subsequently relayed to the Sikkim police.
The Bengal police in cordination with their Sikkim counterparts after having a confirmation from the family regarding the identity of Poudyal, took charge of the body, late on Tuesday.
"His relatives confirmed the identity by seeing his watch and physical structure," OC of Aditmari police station in Bangladesh said.
During the handover of the body, Mekhligonj Police SDPO Ashis P Subba, OC Mithun Biswas, OC ICP Surjit Biswas, BSF, and officials from the Bangladesh Police administration were present.
Raju Nepali, founder of the NGO Daurs Express, and his team significantly contributed to the round-the-clock search efforts, working closely with the Pakyong District police and Poudyal’s family.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang expressed his condolences stating, "I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of the Late Shri R.C. Poudyal Jyu, a statesman and distinguished senior political leader who had served the Sikkim Government in various capacities, including as a Cabinet Minister, and was the leader of the Jhulke Gham Party. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family and pray for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace. Om Shanti!”
Who was R.C. Poudyal?
R.C. Poudyal played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of Sikkim, particularly during the state's integration into the Indian Union and the subsequent constitutional and legal developments.
He was best known for founding and leading the Rising Sun Party (RSP), a political party active in the late 1980s.
Poudyal is perhaps most renowned for the landmark case R.C. Poudyal vs. Union of India (1993), where he challenged the reservation policies in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
He argued that the disproportionate reservation of seats for the Bhutia-Lepcha community was discriminatory and violated the principles of fair representation under the Indian Constitution.
However, the Supreme Court upheld the reservations, citing the unique historical and cultural context of Sikkim.
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