Auraiya: A 20-year-old woman suddenly disappeared from her home in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya district, leading to panic, rumours and an intensive police search in Singanpur village.
According to her family, the woman went to sleep in her room on Sunday night as usual. However, when her mother entered the room the following morning to wake her, the bed was empty. What startled the family further was that her clothes and jewellery were neatly placed on the bed. Beside them lay what appeared to be a nearly five-foot-long snake skin.
The unusual scene quickly fuelled speculation among villagers, with some claiming the woman may have transformed into an “ichchadhari naagin”, a mythical shape-shifting serpent. Adding to the mystery, a snake burrow was reportedly found in the floor of the room where she slept. Family members said snakes had occasionally been seen in the area in the past.
“We are devastated and just want our daughter back safely,” the family told reporters, urging authorities to expedite the search.
Police officials, led by Ajitmal Circle Officer Manoj Gangwar, reached the village soon after receiving the complaint. A case has been registered under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the basis of the father’s complaint. Multiple teams have been formed to trace the missing woman, Gangwar said.
Police later revealed that the woman had been in a relationship with a man from the same village and had allegedly planned her disappearance in advance.
According to investigators, she carefully arranged the scene by wrapping a snake skin in her clothes and placing it on the bed to create an air of mystery and deflect suspicion. After staging the setup, she reportedly left home quietly with her partner.
Calling it a “film-style drama”, station in-charge Ajay Kumar said the snake skin had been deliberately placed to mislead villagers. He added that her mobile phone has been put under surveillance and teams are working to trace her whereabouts.
Dismissing the supernatural rumours, Gangwar urged residents not to spread unverified claims. “The reports of the woman turning into a snake are pure rumours and should be ignored. The presence of the snake skin and clothes could be a deliberate attempt to mislead the investigation or create a distraction,” he said.
Police have also seized mobile phones from the household to examine call records and digital activity as part of the investigation. Authorities said efforts are underway to track leads and locate the woman at the earliest.