Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 18: The decomposed body of Surajsingh Amarpalsingh Chauhan, a 33-year-old Navy official, was recovered from a gorge near Matheran hill station in Raigad district earlier this week, nearly two weeks after he went missing during a trek.

Chauhan, who served as Master Chief, Class II at Colaba, Mumbai, had joined duty just four months ago. On September 7, he had embarked on the Bhivpuri-Garbett trek but failed to return. His family lodged a missing person complaint at Cuffe Parade Police Station, prompting a coordinated search by the police, forest department, and the Sahyadri rescue team.

The body was discovered on Monday by a trekker in a 50-foot-deep gorge behind a temple near the Pali Bhootwali dam. Police confirmed that Chauhan, a native of Rajasthan, was alone during the trek, as seen in CCTV footage at Bhivpuri station and surrounding areas. No signs of foul play have been reported so far.

The body was sent to J.J. Hospital in Mumbai for postmortem. While the initial autopsy did not indicate a clear cause of death, viscera has been preserved for further analysis. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.