Sambalpur: A youth from Balangir district, who had gone missing from the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, was found dead in a power canal near the Chipilima Hydro Electric Project on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Sourabh Sambit Tripathy (24), a resident of Mahalaxminagar in Balangir.

Sourabh goes missing from VIMSAR since October 22

According to reports, Sourabh — a budding mountaineer — had admitted his ailing mother to VIMSAR for treatment of a critical illness. On Wednesday night, around 10 pm, he went missing from the hospital premises. Before disappearing, he reportedly sent a message to his mother, expressing emotional distress over her deteriorating health condition.

As per the mobile message, he is suspected to have ended his life by jumping into the power canal.

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Following his disappearance, Sourabh’s family lodged a missing complaint at Burla police station. Acting on the complaint and the content of the message, Burla police and fire services personnel launched an extensive search operation in the nearby power canal on Friday.

After hours of search, Sourabh’s body was recovered on Saturday morning from the canal near the Chipilima Hydro Electric Project, bringing a tragic end to the two-day search.

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