'Look for me in the pond': Missing 16-year-old’s diary leads police to her body near Gurgaon cremation ground

GURGAON: A 16-year-old girl, who went missing from her home in Mokalwas village around four nights ago, was found dead in a pond near the village cremation ground on Friday. Police recovered the body after finding a note in her diary indicating the location.

According to the statements of family members, the deceased, Neha, had told them around 9.30pm that she was going to study in her room. Around four hours later, they discovered that she was missing and initially conducted their own search. On Thursday, a missing complaint was lodged with the police.


Her family also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information about her whereabouts.

CCTV footage from cameras near her house showed Neha walking alone on the road, wearing her school uniform and slippers, on the night she disappeared. During the investigation, police questioned her classmates, one of whom said she appeared troubled for several days.

A breakthrough came when police searched her room and recovered her diary. In it, Neha had written she was leaving of her own will and that no one should be blamed for her actions. She also hinted at her location, asking her family to look for her in the pond near the cremation ground.

Acting on the diary note, police teams reached the site on Friday and began a search operation. Due to high water levels and thick mud, divers initially faced difficulties. Authorities later installed a motor pump to drain the pond and found her body around 8am on Saturday, an officer said.

Her body was sent for a post-mortem examination before being handed over to her family.

Police initiated an inquest proceeding in the case and prima facie ruled out any suspicious circumstances or involvement of a third party.

Neha is survived by her parents and an elder brother. While her mother is a housewife, her father works in the library at the local court complex.