Tension prevailed in the Kanas block of Odisha’s Puri district after a newlywed woman went missing under mysterious circumstances from her in-laws’ residence in Sunakhala village. The incident, reported on Saturday, led to allegations of foul play by the woman’s family and triggered protests in the area.
The missing woman, daughter of Ramchandra Samantaray of Kalighadi village, had married Rabindra Champatti of Sunakhala village nearly two months ago. Her family alleged that she had been murdered by her in-laws and attempted to cover up the crime. Demanding justice, they staged a protest by burning tyres on Jagannath Road, causing unrest in the locality.
The in-laws strongly denied the allegations, claiming that the woman had gone to a nearby river for a bath and did not return. Following the protest, police detained the woman’s mother-in-law for questioning, while the husband and father-in-law were reportedly absent from the village, leading to speculation that they were absconding.
In a significant development, police traced the missing woman on Sunday in Nirakarpur after analysing CCTV footage and collecting inputs from areas near the Nirakarpur railway bridge. Preliminary investigation suggests the woman may have been suffering from mental health issues, which her in-laws were reportedly unaware of at the time of the marriage.
Local residents stated that the woman was treated well by her in-laws and was cared for. Police sources indicated that the husband and father-in-law may have left the village out of fear of false allegations. Further investigation is underway to ascertain all facts related to the incident.