The body of former Sikkim minister RC Poudyal was found in a West Bengal canal near Siliguri in West Bengal. The body was recovered nine days after he went missing, police said on Wednesday.

As per a news report, the body of the 80-year-old was found floating in the Teesta at Fulbari on Tuesday.

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“Prima facie, it is suspected that the body might have been brought down by the Teesta river from upstream. The identification was made through the watch and the clothes he was wearing,” a police officer said.

The identification of the body was made through the watch and clothes he was wearing.

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, police said.

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, reports northeast now.

Poudyal was the deputy speaker in the first Sikkim assembly and later became the state’s forest minister.

He had played a significant role in the Himalayan state’s political landscape during the late ‘70s and ‘80s, founding the Rising Sun Party.
He is also known for his profound understanding of Sikkim’s cultural and social dynamics.

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“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.

The officials have said that the investigation into the death is in progress.