Bhubaneswar: A 26-year-old man drowned while performing post-death rituals in the Taladanda canal at Pankapal village under Kujang police in Jagatsinghpur district, on Saturday.
The deceased has been identified as Dipti Ranjan Parida, a resident of the area.
According to reports, Dipti had accompanied family members to perform the funeral rituals of his sister’s mother-in-law as per local customs, which included head shaving and bathing in the canal. Several relatives, along with a Brahmin and a barber, were present at the site.
Dipti, who was reportedly unfamiliar with the canal’s water depth and current, entered the water for ritual bathing when he was swept away by the strong flow.
Family members immediately alerted the fire brigade and local police. Rescue teams launched an extensive search operation and after several hours, Dipti was located and pulled out of the water in critical condition.
He was rushed to Kujanga Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
