In a tragic incident from Udupi district, the body of a 45-year-old woman from Bengaluru, who had gone missing earlier this week, was recovered from the Souparnika River in Kollur on Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Vasudha Chakravarthy, was a professional photographer known for her work at religious sites. She had traveled alone to the Kollur Mookambika Temple on August 27, driving from Bengaluru and parking her car near a guest house before entering the temple premises, The Hindu reported.
Temple staff reported that Vasudha appeared to be in a disturbed state while at the shrine. Witnesses said she abruptly ran out of the temple and was last seen heading away down the nearby road. Concerned about her well-being, her mother Vimala attempted to contact her from their home in Thyagarajnagar, Bengaluru, but Vasudha’s phone was found to be switched off.
Unable to reach her daughter, Vimala traveled to Kollur the following day and, after searching the area, filed a missing person complaint with local police. During the investigation, some tourists informed the authorities that they had seen a woman resembling Vasudha jumping into the Souparnika River.
A large-scale search operation was launched on Saturday, involving local police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel, diving specialist Eshwar Malpe and local volunteers. After hours of searching, Vasudha’s body was discovered entangled in a bush nearly three kilometres downstream from where she was last seen, the report stated.
The body was retrieved through dense forest terrain and transported back to Kollur. Following a post-mortem examination, the remains were handed over to her family, who conducted the final rites locally, the report added.