Chamba: A six year old boy remains missing after his father allegedly threw him into the swollen Ravi River following an argument with his wife, in a shocking incident reported from Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
The accused, identified as Hitesh Kumar, allegedly took his son, Gagandeep, to the Parel bridge on Monday night and threw him into the river, police said. The incident reportedly followed an argument Kumar had with his wife over the phone.
The following morning, Kumar himself called the 112 police helpline and informed authorities about what he had done. He subsequently surrendered before the police, according to officials. Police initially questioned his claim and then visited the spot and the rented accommodation where the boy had been staying. Their inquiry established that the child was missing, following which Kumar was taken into custody.
A search operation was launched in the Ravi River soon after. However, locating the child has proved difficult because of the strong current and high water level in the river. Additional Superintendent of Police (Chamba) Dinesh Sharma said teams were searching at likely locations, but Gagandeep had not been traced as of Wednesday.
Police said Kumar’s wife has been staying at her maternal home in Amritsar with the couple’s younger son for around a month, while Gagandeep had been living with his father in Chamba.
Investigators are now trying to establish what happened between the couple before the incident. Police have seized the wife’s mobile phone and are questioning her as part of the investigation.
Kumar had reportedly been living in a rented room in Parel for about a year. Police said he had earlier worked for a private company in Baddi and was working as a daily wage labourer at the time of the incident.
For now, the search for Gagandeep remains the police’s immediate priority. Authorities have not yet confirmed the child’s whereabouts or established a clear motive behind the alleged act.
As of August 12, 2026, the six year old boy has not been traced. The investigation and river search operation are continuing.
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