GURGAON: A 16-year-old Class 11 student who had been missing from her home in Mokalwas village for four days was found dead in a pond near the village cremation ground on Friday. Police traced the location after discovering a note in her diary that pointed to the site.
According to family members, Neha told them around 9.30pm on the night she disappeared that she was going to study in her room. About four hours later, they realised she was not at home and began searching for her. When their efforts yielded no results, they filed a missing person complaint with police on Thursday.
The family had also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information about her whereabouts.
CCTV footage from cameras installed near her residence showed Neha walking alone along the road that night, dressed in her school uniform and slippers. During the investigation, police questioned her classmates, one of whom said she had appeared disturbed over the past few days.
A breakthrough came when officers searched her room and recovered her diary. In a handwritten note, Neha stated that she was leaving of her own will and that no one should be held responsible for her actions. She also indicated that her family should look for her in the pond near the cremation ground.
Based on the diary entry, police teams reached the spot on Friday and began a search operation. Divers initially faced difficulties due to high water levels and thick mud. Authorities later deployed a motor pump to drain the pond, and her body was recovered around 8am on Saturday, an officer said.
The body was sent for post-mortem examination before being handed over to the family. Police have initiated inquest proceedings and, prima facie, ruled out foul play or the involvement of any third party.
Neha is survived by her parents and an elder brother. Her mother is a homemaker, while her father works at the library of the local court complex.
