72-year-old Ajit Kaur, an Indian-origin woman who was reported missing in August, was found dead in a California canal. Kaur’s body was found by a Turlock Irrigation District employee in the Lower Lateral 3 Canal near Central Avenue and Keyes Road in Ceres, California, on Saturday, October 24, CPD said. The employee had been conducting one of the district’s multiple daily patrols of the canal system at the time.Officers responded to the scene and confirmed that the remains were human. The remains were sent to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office, where they identified the body on Tuesday.The area where Kaur’s remains were found was examined by the detectives earlier. Kaur was reported missing from the Casa Grande Apartment complex in Ceres on August 23. She was last seen that day, at approximately 1:45 a.m. near Whitmore Ave and Mitchell Road in Ceres. Detectives said their investigation led them to believe that Kaur “may have entered” the TID canal located east of the apartment complex. CPD said they “pursued available leads and conducted extensive efforts to locate” her.This included canvassing the “surrounding area,” including canal areas throughout Ceres and working with a K9 with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office trained to track and locate missing persons.The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department Dive Unit also assisted in the search, deploying an underwater remote sonar drone to scan the canals. Detectives worked with TID to map potential water routes she may have taken and investigate whether she could have reached the TID regulating reservoir.“The Ceres Police Department extends its heartfelt condolences to Kaur’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” CPD said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with them as they navigate this loss.” “We are grateful to the agencies and personnel who assisted throughout this investigation,” they added.When Kaur disappeared, the family members said that she was on her daily walk and then never returned. “No phone, no IDs, nothing whatsoever,” said Kaur’s daughter-in-law, Raman Atwal. “That’s very unusual for her.” They said Kaur was visually impaired in one eye and did not have any access to vehicle. They also feared that Kaur might have fallen into the canal..
