Archive · 24 Aug 2026
Families Urge Navy, Coast Guard Search for Missing Lakshadweep Policemen
Three policemen were sent to watch over Suheli Island in Lakshadweep.
On August 11, their small patrol boat overturned in rough water.
Two policemen, K.M. Nabeel and K.C. Hidayatulla, were swept away.
The third policeman, K.K. Ummer, survived and reached safety the next day.
Search teams used boats, drones, and aircraft to look for the missing men.
They have not found them so far.
Their families say the search should use stronger equipment and help from the Navy and Coast Guard.
They also say the island outpost did not have enough safety and rescue facilities.
K.M. Nabeel and K.C. Hidayatulla went missing after their patrol boat overturned near Suheli Island on August 11.
Their colleague K.K. Ummer survived by holding onto a rock and swimming to safety the next day.
The policemen had been deployed to the uninhabited island outpost on August 1 for a 20-day assignment.
Families and local activists urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to involve the Navy and Coast Guard in the search.
Police and local fishermen conducted searches involving drones and sea and aerial sorties, but the missing officers were not found.
- Who
- Policemen K.M. Nabeel, K.C. Hidayatulla and K.K. Ummer; families and local activists seeking expanded search efforts.
- What
- A patrol boat overturned, leaving Nabeel and Hidayatulla missing while Ummer survived.
- When
- The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on August 11; the policemen had been deployed on August 1.
- Where
- Near Suheli Island, an uninhabited island in Lakshadweep.
- Why
- The boat overturned in rough seas during a patrol, and families say stronger search equipment and vessels are needed.
Families and activists
Lakshadweep authorities
Scale of search operations
Families and activists
Families and activists urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intensify the search with Navy and Coast Guard assistance, specialised equipment, and all-weather vessels.
Lakshadweep authorities
The Lakshadweep police and local fishermen conducted search and rescue operations, including drone surveillance and sea and aerial sorties.
Equipment and communication
Families and activists
Families said the administration lacked heavy-duty, deep-sea search equipment and all-weather vessels, and activists said the rescue mission was called off without informing families.
Lakshadweep authorities
The article reports that the existing search operations were called off after failing to locate the two policemen, but does not provide the administration’s explanation.
- Missing policemen
- K.M. Nabeel and K.C. Hidayatulla
- Surviving policeman
- K.K. Ummer
- Accident date
- August 11
- Deployment date
- August 1, for 20 days
- Location
- Suheli Island, Lakshadweep
- Search efforts
- Police and local fishermen used voluntary searches, drones, and sea and aerial sorties
- Families’ request
- Navy and Coast Guard assistance with specialised equipment