Pithoragarh: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, his PSO, and the state’s Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Vijay Kumar Jogdande were rescued after a 19-hour operation. On Wednesday, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer set out for the Nanda Devi trek, but their helicopter was unable to move forward or return due to bad weather near Ralam. The pilot had to make an emergency landing in a field.
At the administration’s request, Ishwar Singh Nabiyal from Paton village, along with four companions, reached Ralam to assist the Chief Election Commissioner. Meanwhile, trekkers who had arrived at the Ralam Glacier also helped the Chief Election Commissioner in the deserted village of Ralam.
The emergency landing took place around 1 PM on Wednesday, and news spread that the Chief Election Commissioner was stranded in Ralam. Everyone knew that it would be dificult to rescue them immediately due to bad weather in the Himalayan region. Thus, a team from the police, administration, and ITBP was dispatched with food and clothes for the rescue mission. The administration also requested Ishwar Singh Nabiyal, who has in-depth knowledge of the Himalayan terrain, to reach Ralam. He, along with his companions, arrived by 9 PM to help, but it took the ITBP and administration team 17 hours to reach the site.
On Thursday morning at 5 AM, ITBP personnel finally reached Ralam. Coincidentally, trekkers who were on the Ralam Glacier trek spotted the Chief Election Commissioner and his helicopter in the abandoned village and came forward to assist. They broke the lock of a house, providing shelter to the CEC and his companions. Everyone alleviated their hunger with the Maggi noodles provided by the trekkers.
By 7 AM on Thursday, the group reached the Munsyari helipad in another helicopter, which then took them back to Dehradun. DM Vinod Goswami stated that the Chief Election Commissioner was successfully rescued thanks to the cooperation of the police, administration, ITBP, and local villagers.
