Guwahati: Skeletal remains discovered along the Lohit riverbank in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit district are suspected to belong to Debanjib Kumar Sharma, a dentist from Guwahati who went missing nearly a month ago from a riverside resort.
According to police, DNA samples have been collected from Sharma’s mother and daughter and will be sent to forensic laboratories in Guwahati or Kolkata for confirmation. Authorities hope the test results will bring some closure to the family.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The remains were found on June 23 near Panbari, approximately 15–20 kilometers from Parshuram Kund, by local fishermen. Sharma had checked into Tulow Resort near the river on May 30 and was last seen by resort staff around 8 am on May 31. He was reportedly shifting rooms due to flash floods and landslides following heavy rainfall.
His personal belongings, including his motorcycle, were found untouched at the resort, raising questions about the circumstances of his disappearance.
Following his vanishing, extensive search operations were carried out by the police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Despite several efforts, no leads surfaced until the skeletal remains were discovered last week.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Lohit Superintendent of Police Thutan Jamba said, “We’ve collected DNA samples from Dr. Sharma’s family members. The results may take two to three months, but we are pushing for a quicker turnaround.”
Medical experts estimate that the remains are about a month old, consistent with the timeline of Sharma’s disappearance. While preliminary inputs point to accidental drowning due to rising river levels, the police have not ruled out the possibility of foul play.
“We are awaiting forensic results and will continue the investigation accordingly,” SP Jamba added.