Bhubaneswar: A college girl went missing after she fell into the Burla Power Canal in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Tuesday while meeting her friend, whom she met over Instagram about three weeks ago.
The girl student, identified as Nisha Jha of Jharsuguda, is a BBA student at a private educational institution in Rourkela. Nisha’s male acquaintance is a Plus III student at Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur.
According to reports, Nisha slipped when the water in the power channel gushed suddenly at the spot where they met around 5 pm. This is said to be their maiden first meeting and the girl was visiting her sister at Jagannath Colony in Sambalpur town.
On being informed about the incident at 6.30 pm, Fire Services personnel launched a rescue operation but could not trace the girl till late Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, a 10-member rescue team has resumed the search operation.
On the other hand, police have also started a probe and recorded statements of some youths, who tried to rescue Nisha. Her male friend has been detained for interrogation.
It is worth mentioning here that a BTech graduate of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, Chinmayee Priyadarshini Sahu, died after reportedly jumping off Power Channel Bridge in March this year. Chinmayee, who hailed from the Rampur Madanpur area in the Kalahandi district, was last seen with her male friend.
