Chhattisgarh police owe a debt to their star sniffer dog Vimala, who braved 10 kilometers of jungle to find a comatose young man missing since a boozy field day. In Bilaspur’s rugged outskirts, the 19-year-old Tarun Sidar was airlifted to safety, crediting the pup’s nose for his survival.
Dandbachali residents recall February 19: Tarun toiled in fields with kin, later toasting with pals. Dusk came; he didn’t. Family hunts proved fruitless, culminating in nephew Arun’s police report. Shadows of worry lengthened.
Interviews painted a picture—drinks flowed, buddies dispersed, Tarun evaporated. Artifacts at the scene: cap, slipper. Dog squad activated. Manoj Sahu’s partner Vimala sniffed, then surged into verdant chaos.
Through vines and valleys, 10km unfolded in her pursuit. Barking triumphantly, she unearthed Tarun, felled by ordeal. Hospital bound, he battled back from the edge, physicians noting toxic mix of booze, famine, thirst.
Recovered, Tarun narrated the blur: intoxicated wanderings morphing to despair, collapse in isolation. Force leaders lauded the feat, urging expanded K9 units for hinterland ops, where tech falters but instinct endures.