The decomposed body of a 33-year-old Indian Navy officer, missing for over a week during a solo trek at Matheran hill station near Mumbai, was recovered from a 50-foot-deep gorge on Monday, police confirmed on Thursday. Surajsingh Amarpalsingh Chauhan, a Master Chief Class II stationed at the naval base in Colaba, south Mumbai, had embarked on the Bhivpuri-Garbett trail on September 7, a moderately challenging route popular among Mumbai's urban trekkers for its scenic waterfalls and forested paths. Originally from the Bhiwani district in Rajasthan, Chauhan had joined his posting just four months prior, leaving behind a family in the city.

Chauhan's disappearance triggered an immediate alert when he failed to return home and his mobile phone went unresponsive. His relatives filed a missing person report at Cuffe Parade Police Station, prompting a multi-agency search operation. CCTV footage from Bhivpuri railway station captured him walking alone toward the trek, clad in trekking gear, with no signs of companions. Initial probes traced his last known location to the Matheran area, about 80 km from Mumbai in the Raigad district, leading to coordinated efforts by Neral Police, the Forest Department, the Maharashtra Mountaineers' Rescue Coordination Centre (MMRCC), and Indian Navy personnel. Drones were deployed from September 12 to scan the rugged Western Ghats terrain, but challenging monsoon remnants and dense foliage hampered progress for days.

The grim discovery unfolded when a fellow trekker spotted the remains behind a temple near Pali Bhootwali Dam, a remote spot along the trail known for its slippery slopes and hidden ravines. Rescue teams rappelled down the gorge to retrieve the body, which was airlifted to Mumbai's government-run J.J. Hospital for postmortem. Assistant Police Inspector Shivaji Dhavale of Neral station noted no evidence of foul play, with investigators ruling out external involvement based on the isolated location and lack of suspicious activity in surrounding footage. An accidental death report (ADR) has been filed under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and viscera samples preserved for chemical analysis pending the full autopsy report.

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Matheran, Maharashtra's only automobile-free hill station and a UNESCO World Heritage Site aspirant, attracts thousands annually for its eco-trails but poses risks during the post-monsoon season due to unstable paths and sudden drops. Chauhan's case echoes recent trekking fatalities in the Sahyadris, including a group mishap in Uttarakhand earlier this year that claimed five lives amid adverse weather. The Navy has extended condolences and support to his family, while authorities urge trekkers to register itineraries and carry GPS devices. As the probe continues, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils lurking in India's beloved outdoor escapes.

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