Australian trekker ‘missing’ in Kullu since July, search continues

Australian national John Royston Le Monnier is suspected to have gone missing while trekking to the Pin Parvati Pass in the Parvati valley of the district in early July this year. The matter came to the fore in a letter dated September 29 written by the Kullu SP to the SHOs and in-charges of all police stations, directing them to look for clues about Monnier’s whereabouts.

According to the letter, the police stations were asked on September 8 for assistance in locating the Australian.

Kullu SP Sakshi Verma said that the Australian High Commission had approached the local police in early September. It suspected that Monnier had gone missing in Kullu. She added that the Australian High Commission sent another email on September 26 stating that Monnier’s last known communication was from Bhuntar on July 2 when he told his friend in Australia that he was preparing to trek to the Pin Parvati Pass on July 3.

Sakshi said that Monnier had also shared a few images with his family in Australia via WhatsApp. She added that however, there was no information about Monnier’s stay in Bhuntar or Kullu.

She said that police teams were checking C-forms to trace his presence in Kullu. She added that all SHOs had been directed to sensitise their field staff to look for any information regarding Monnier’s whereabouts.

The SP said that trekking agencies and guides of the Parbati valley and Manali were being questioned. She added that all police stations had been directed to constitute dedicated teams, especially at Bhuntar, Kullu, Patlikul and Manali, to trace Monnier at all possible places he could have visited considering the photographs sent by the Australian High Commission.