Missing Odisha Woman Found Dead In River, Crocodile Attack Feared

The deceased was identified as Suchitra Das, a resident of Damodar Patna village in the Alapua area under Pattamundai block.

According to local sources, Suchitra had gone to the Brahmani River on Monday but failed to return home. As her whereabouts remained unknown, family members alerted local residents, who immediately suspected that she might have been dragged into the river by a crocodile, a recurring threat in the area.

A large-scale search operation was launched soon after, involving personnel from the forest department, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the Fire and Emergency Services, and local villagers. The search continued through the night and resumed on Tuesday morning.

The search ended after villagers spotted a mutilated body floating near the Jhadh Mahapurush Peetha along the river. Officials said the body was in a severely mutilated condition. Fire and Emergency Services personnel retrieved the remains from the river and handed them over to the police.

The body was sent for post-mortem examination. Authorities said the autopsy will ascertain the exact cause of death and determine whether the woman was killed in a crocodile attack.

The Brahmani River in Kendrapara district is known for its sizeable population of estuarine crocodiles, and incidents of human-crocodile conflict have been reported repeatedly over the years. Residents of riverside villages have long expressed concern over the growing threat posed by the reptiles, particularly for people who depend on the river for bathing, fishing, and other daily activities.

Official data from the Kendrapara district administration and the forest department indicate that at least 24 people have lost their lives in crocodile attacks since 2019, making the district one of Odisha's worst-affected regions for human-crocodile conflict. Local residents, however, claim that the actual number of fatalities may be higher than officially recorded.