The body of social worker Rabi Soni, who had been missing since the evening of August 26, was recovered today from the Ib River near OPM ghat and the cremation ground by the Jharsuguda ODRAF team.
Soni was last seen heading towards the OPM ghat on his scooter around 7 PM on August 26. The following morning, locals spotted his scooter abandoned near the riverbank and alerted Brajrajnagar police. Despite extensive searches, no trace of him was found until this morning, when ODRAF divers recovered his body around 10 AM.
Police said Soni’s wife had lodged a written complaint on August 27, prompting coordinated search operations. Reports suggest Soni had been struggling with mental health issues in recent days, with erratic social media posts and unusual public behaviour drawing concern. Locals speculated he may have taken his own life, as he had reportedly spoken about “water burial” in recent days.
Soni, once known as a philanthropist and social activist in Brajrajnagar, leaves behind his wife, a staff nurse at Burla hospital, a son, and his mother and brother at their local residence. Police have sent the body for post‑mortem examination.
