Kargil police deploy drones, sniffer dogs in search for missing Nagpur woman
, in coordination with other agencies, intensified their search for the 43-year-old Nagpur woman,
, who vanished from Hundermaan village near the Line of Control (LoC) on May 14, 2025.
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Suspected to have crossed into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to meet a Pakistani pastor she had connected with online, Sunita's disappearance raised concerns about border security amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions.
The Kargil police employed
to scour the rugged terrain along the LoC near Hundermaan, the frontier village, where Sunita was last seen. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Kargil, Shree Ram, confirmed the search involved scanning hamlets and the nearby Suru river using drones, while sniffer dogs traced Sunita's scent from clothes left at a hotel where she was staying with her 15-year-old son.
"Despite thorough efforts, no trace of her was found," SSP Ram stated, adding police are awaiting updates from the army regarding her whereabouts.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Sunita, a former nurse, is in Pakistani custody, marking her third attempt to cross the border after two failed tries at Attari. Sources indicate she used villagers' phones and special apps to communicate with contacts in Pakistan, including a pastor and an individual named Zulfikar, before her disappearance.
Several local villagers are now under scrutiny for allegedly assisting her.
Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Singal noted multiple agencies, including intelligence units, are investigating the case. Sunita's son, left behind in Hundermaan, is under the care of Juvenile Justice Board, awaiting family members from Maharashtra. Her family claims she was undergoing mental health treatment, a factor now under probe alongside her call records.
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The incident, first reported after villagers handed Sunita's son to the Ladakh police, sparked concerns over security lapses along the LoC, especially given recent cross-border skirmishes. The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover Sunita's motives and the circumstances of her crossing. Sunita's son is still in the custody of the Kargil Child Welfare Committee, who are waiting approval from the social and tribal development department.
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