Punjab Newsline | Rupnagar
A 26-year-old missing vehicle case has resurfaced after an Omni van that plunged into the Bhakra Canal in 2000 was recently recovered from the waters near Bhakra Canal in the Kiratpur Sahib area of Rupnagar district.
The vehicle belonged to a family from Kotla village and had fallen into the canal in October 2000 while returning from a wedding ceremony. Four people, including an eight-year-old child, were reportedly travelling in the van at the time of the accident.
Despite a month-long search operation by professional divers back then, neither the vehicle nor the occupants were ever found.
Recently, local social worker and diver Kamalpreet Saini discovered the submerged vehicle while searching for a body in the canal near Nakkian village. He initially tied the van with ropes after spotting it deep underwater, and later, with the help of villagers and a tractor, the vehicle was pulled out.
Saini said the rear portion and roof of the Omni van were completely destroyed due to rust and prolonged submersion, leaving only the front part intact. He also claimed that skeletal remains were found in the front section of the vehicle along with a shirt believed to belong to the child victim.
All recovered items have reportedly been handed over to the family.
A police official confirmed that the vehicle which had fallen into the canal in 2000 has now been retrieved.
Saini further stated that after speaking to villagers, he learned about the decades-old incident and later contacted the victims’ families, who requested him to help recover the vehicle. He added that strong underwater currents made the recovery operation extremely difficult.
