JAGATSINGHPUR: A 22-year-old youth went missing after reportedly jumping into Devi river from Shikhar ghat bridge under Naugaon police limits here in the early hours of Friday.
The youth was identified as Shailesh Padhi, a resident of Tihuda village. According to reports, Padhi, the only son of his parents, reached the Devi river bridge near Shikhar ghat on his scooter. He parked his two-wheeler on the bridge and allegedly jumped into the river.
Locals raised an alarm on noticing the scooter parked on the bridge for a long time. On being informed, Naugaon police and fire services personnel reached the spot and launched a search operation in the river.
However, the motorised boat of the fire services team developed a technical snag. Subsequently, a fire services team from Balikuda arrived at the spot. But their boat too was found non-functional, triggering resentment among local residents. Eventually, the search operation resumed but Padhi could not be found.
IIC of Naugaon police station Debasish Panda said despite efforts by joint teams of fire services and ODRAF personnel, the youth could not be traced till evening. It is being suspected that Padhi jumped into the river over a family dispute. Further investigation is underway, Panda added.
