Jamshedpur man swept away during ‘Shradh’ ritual at Baroda Ghat in Kharkai River

Jamshedpur, July 19: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 33-year-old man lost his life on Tuesday evening at Baroda Ghat in the Kharkai River while performing a ‘Shradh’ ritual. The victim, identified as Raja Munda, was tragically swept away by the forceful current of the swollen river after taking a customary plunge into the water body.

According to eyewitnesses, Raja Munda was among the devotees observing the ritual at Baroda Ghat, which is located in the Bagbera police station area. During the ceremony, he entered the Kharkai River as part of the ritual, but the rapid flow of the river proved fatal, resulting in his tragic drowning.

Efforts to locate and rescue Raja Munda were initiated immediately after the incident came to light. Local authorities and bystanders made courageous attempts to find him, but unfortunately, their efforts proved unsuccessful on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday morning, the police continued their relentless search for the victim’s body and enlisted the support of a team of divers to aid in the recovery operation. Despite the challenging conditions, the authorities remained determined to locate Raja Munda’s body and provide closure to his family.

A woman, who was present at Baroda Ghat during the unfortunate incident, witnessed the harrowing events unfold. She quickly alerted the local residents about the drowning, raising an alarm for immediate assistance. However, by the time the police reached the scene, it was too late to prevent the tragedy.

In a significant development, the police recovered the clothes belonging to Raja Munda, which were found lying on the bank of the river ghat. This confirmed the occurrence of the unfortunate incident and added urgency to the search operation.

Raja Munda, a resident of Gandhinagar in Bagbera, earned a living as a mini-truck driver. His untimely demise has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving family and friends in grief.

Speaking about the ongoing search efforts, Bagbera police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Koishelendra Jha stated, “We are trying to trace the body of Raja Munda from the Kharkai river, and for this purpose, divers have been pressed into service.” He assured that the police were committed to exhausting all resources in their quest to locate the victim’s body.

The tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers posed by swollen rivers during the monsoon season. Authorities are urging citizens to exercise caution and avoid entering water bodies with strong currents to prevent such unfortunate accidents.