Bhubaneswar: A married woman in Odisha’s Cuttack district allegedly staged her own drowning in Mahanadi river to elope with her paramour.

The incident took place in Banki area of Cuttack on Monday. The police today traced the woman to Chudanga Sahi at Puri. She was found staying with her paramour, reports said. 

As per reports, the woman, a resident of Ratagarh, went to Mahanadi river in the early morning of September 1 for immersion of idols following the conclusion of Khudurukuni festival.

Acting on her plan, the woman disappeared from the spot by leaving the puja materials and her sandals on the river embankment. The villagers presumed that she had been swept away by the strong currents while immersing idols in the river.

On being informed, the Fire Brigade personnel reached the spot and launched an operation to trace her. They could not trace the woman despite a three-day search in the river.

However, the woman secretly travelled to Puri with her paramour. The mystery surrounding the woman’s disappearance was solved when the police traced her to the Holy Town. The cops have detained the woman and her paramour for questioning.