JEYPORE: Four members of a family, including two minors, have been missing since February 1 after reportedly venturing into the Sabari river for fishing near Gupteswar under Boipariguda police limits in Koraput.
The missing persons are Lalit Pujari (32), his wife Guri Pujari (28), and their two children aged four and six of Dandabadi village in Boipariguda. Police said the family had left home on February 1 for fishing in the river, a practice they regularly relied on for their livelihood. They were known to camp along the riverbanks for seven to 10 days during such fishing trips.
When they did not return home even after 15 days, their relatives and villagers of Dandabadi searched nearby riverbanks and forested areas. After their efforts proved futile, the matter was reported to police on Monday.
On being informed, police along with a scientific team and dog squad launched a search operation under the supervision of Jeypore SDPO Partha Kashyap. During the operation, officials recovered household items, utensils and food supplies, believed to belong to the family, from a temporary campsite near Sabari river, indicating that they had been staying there.
Meanwhile, some locals told police that Lalit was last seen about a week ago in Gupteswar area when he had come to buy rice, raising suspicion that the family may have moved further along the river.
Personnel from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and local police continue to comb the riverbanks and adjoining forests. “We are carrying out extensive searches with the help of ODRAF, scientific teams and local police. All possible angles are being examined. The exact circumstances under which the family went missing would be ascertained after the search operation concludes,” Kashyap said.