R. VenuGopal, Bharat Times

Poshik Sharma, an Indian student in Melbourne, has been found dead in tragic but strange and unusual circumstances. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Rescue search for Poshik, who went missing after arguing with his friends at Duck Inn, a pub in Marysville, rural Victoria last week ended in tragedy, after rescuers found a body believed to be of Poshik.

Police said search crews found a body they believe to be missing man Poshik Sharma, a student from Melbourne, at about 11am on Monday, 15 July.

Poshik Sharma 21, had reportedly argued and had disagreement with friends and left the pub in Marysville before disappearing last Thursday. He had not been seen since, and police held grave concerns for his safety as searches entered their fourth day.

“He has completely gone off the grid which is completely unusual for a young man,” Inspector Ryan told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Sharma had not spoken to friends or family, used his phone or social media since he disappeared. A dam was earlier drained during the search, and a walking track and bushland searched to try to find him.

Poshik, who was on the way to Mount Buller with friends, was last seen in Marysville on Thursday before going missing.

Poshik and his friends had decided to stop at the Duck Inn pub on the way to Mount Buller before they had a disagreement.

Inspector David Ryan told reporters on 3rd day of search, Sunday that the student disappeared “in the space of a mere 50 metres”, and crews had been looking high and low for him. Crews have also drained a nearby dam.

“Either he’s walked off into the bush… or he has got a lift from someone – that’s what we’re hoping,” Insp Ryan said.

“There’s nothing further that we can gain from electronic inquiries around his mobile phone – he’s completely gone off the grid – which is highly unusual for a young man, not to continue to be engaged with social media or using his phone in some manner.”

Insp Ryan urged anyone who may have seen Sharma to come forward.

“Anybody who was in town at that time, we really do need to talk to them in the hope that they’ve got some memory of seeing this young man, dressed quite distinctively with bright red shoes, the bright red scarf and then a black puffer jacket and black beanie,” Insp Ryan said.

“He’s quite a good-looking, young Indian man. He’s fit, he’s strong, with the way he’s dressed he should stand out to people.”

Police today announced they believed the young man may have been trying to hitchhike, after leaving the Marysville pub on Thursday afternoon, and investigators had changed their appeal for information.

“We believe from a witness account that Poshik has attempted to hitchhike away from Marysville back towards Melbourne,” Inspector David Ryan told ABC Radio earlier today.

His family in India had not been informed as the searchers and friends hoped to find Poshik, the only son of his parents, safe.

 “We are trying our best so that we find him before they get to know about that one because he is the only son,” Poshik’s cousin Prince Teona told Nine News.

“Please come back as soon as you can,” his friend Gursharan Singh told 7 News. “We are really missing you.”

Tragically for the family and friends, tThe body was found in bush land on the outskirts of Marysville about 11am on Monday, four days after Poshik Sharma had left the Marysville pub alone following a disagreement with friends.

 “It’s not something we expected to have happen and it is certainly devastating for the family, they were obviously very upset,” Inspector David Ryan said.

“They were very hopeful with the effort we were putting in that we’d find Poshik. It’s not a good outcome.”

The death is not being treated as suspicious and police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

A Werribee resident, Poshik Sharma was studying to be an Automotive Engineer. He also wanted be a fitness model. His uncharacteristic and sudden death brings a sad end to a very modest and humble ambition.

By K. Dev