A 20‑year‑old girl who had recently qualified the National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test (NEET) was found dead in the Mulusuhanga canal, about 800 metres from her residence in Odisha’s Kataka district on Thursday afternoon.
Locals spotted the body floating in the canal and alerted authorities. A fire‑fighting team and police personnel reached the spot and recovered the body. The incident occurred two days after the girl went missing from her home.
According to police, she left her house on Tuesday morning and did not return. Her family later lodged a missing complaint at the local police station.
A scientific team visited the site, collected samples and evidence, and sent them for forensic examination. Kataka Rural SP Vinit Agrawal said the body has been sent for autopsy, and the post‑mortem report is expected to provide crucial clues about the cause and circumstances of death.
Police are investigating how the girl reached the canal and what led to her death.
