Puri, Sept 3: A festive morning turned tragic in Odisha’s Banki area after reports surfaced that a woman had gone missing in the Mahanadi River following evening prayers during the Khudurukuni Osha celebrations. However, the case took a dramatic turn two days later when it was discovered that the woman had faked her drowning and fled with her lover.

The woman, identified as Pinki Swain from Ratagada village in Banki, Cuttack district, was believed to have been swept away by strong currents of the Mahanadi while performing ritual immersions early in the morning after the Osha celebrations. Witnesses claimed she vanished under 20 to 30 feet of fast-flowing water around 4 AM.

Following the report, fire service teams from Athagarh and Dampada, along with an ODRAF team, launched an intensive two-day search operation stretching from Manduli to Ratagada along the Mahanadi. Despite exhaustive efforts, there was no trace of Pinki.

Top local officials, including Banki Sub-Collector Pranab Behera, SDPO Balakrishna Kahar, and Tahasildar Ashesh Kumar Nayak, visited the scene to monitor the rescue operations.

However, in a surprising twist, police revealed that Pinki had not drowned at all. Instead, she had staged the incident to run away with her lover. Authorities confirmed that she is now in custody at Puri Town Police Station.

The incident has raised serious questions about misuse of emergency services and prompted discussions on legal action for faking a disappearance and misguiding search and rescue teams.