Bhubaneswar, Dec 31: The death of Basanta Patra, a businessman from Champua town in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, remains shrouded in mystery following the recovery of his body from the Baitarani River on Tuesday.
Patra, who owned a shop in the area, reportedly parked his scooter on the Baitarani bridge along the Odisha-Jharkhand border before jumping into the river on Monday night.
His family became concerned when he did not return home by late evening and sought assistance from the Champua police to locate him. The discovery of his scooter on the bridge raised suspicions that he may have jumped into the water.
Consequently, local fire brigade personnel launched a search operation, which ultimately led to the recovery of his body in the Baitarani waters, on the Jharkhand side of the border.
Jharkhand police have since seized Patra’s scooter and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. However, the reasons behind his apparent leap into the river remain unclear, leaving his family and the community seeking answers. The River Baitarani serves as the natural boundary between Odisha and Jharkhand near Champua.
Family seeks answers after Champua businessman found dead in Baitarani
