Guwahati: Reportedly missing for the last nine days, the body of former Sikkim minister RC Poudyal was found in a canal near Siliguri in West Bengal, police said on Wednesday.
According to reports, the lifeless body of Poudyal, 80, was found floating in the Teesta Canal at Fulbari on Tuesday.
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It has been learnt that the identification of the body was made through the watch and the clothes he was wearing.
He reportedly intended to visit his sister-in-law’s residence in Setipool. He informed his family that he would return by 2 pm, but has not been seen or heard from since.
On the day of his disappearance, Poudyal was reportedly dressed in a traditional kurta and pyjamas.
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A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to search for the veteran politician after he went missing on July 7 from his hometown of Chota Singtam in Pakyong district.
Poudyal was the deputy speaker in the first Sikkim assembly and later became the state’s forest minister.
Poudyal was considered a pivotal figure in Sikkim’s political landscape during the late ’70s and ’80s, founding the Rising Sun Party.
He was also known for his profound understanding of the state’s cultural and social dynamics.
“I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of the Late Shri RC Poudyal Jyu, a statesman and distinguished senior political leader who had served the Sikkim Government in various capacities, including as a minister, and was the leader of the Jhulke Gham Party,” Chief Minister PS Tamang said.