Silchar Idol Immersion Turns Tragic as Three Slip Into Barak River; Police Rescue Two, One Missing

A religious celebration took a tragic turn on Wednesday evening (July 30) when three men slipped into the Barak River during the immersion of the Goddess Manasa idol at Sadarghat Bisharjan Ghat. While two were rescued by Cachar Police personnel, Jamil Ahmed Mazumder, one man, namely Gauranga Ghosh, remains missing despite ongoing search efforts.

The incident occurred during the immersion of the Manasa idol from the residence of brothers Gauranga Ghosh and Krishna Ghosh. Residents of Second Link Road in Silchar visited Bisharjan Ghat on Wednesday night, accompanied by family and relatives.

According to relatives, Krishna Ghosh accidentally slipped into the river while immersing puja articles. Seeing him struggle, their relative Bipab Das, who knew how to swim, jumped in to help. Moments later, Gauranga Ghosh, who reportedly did not know how to swim, leapt into the water to save his younger brother but was quickly swept away by the strong current.

The Riding Squad of Sadar Police, stationed at the ghat, acted swiftly. Jamil Ahmed Mazumder of the Riding Squad used a piece of cloth as an improvised rope to rescue Krishna and Bipab. However, Gauranga could not be located. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been deployed, and rescue operations continued into the night.

A relative of the family recounted, “The ghat was slippery due to soil, and Krishna slipped while immersing the puja articles. Bipab, thinking he could help, jumped in. Seeing this, Gauranga got scared and tried to save his younger brother, but the river’s current swept him away.”

Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta, who rushed to the spot, assured that every effort is being made to locate the missing man. “We are using mechanised boats to conduct the search. I also advise residents performing household idol immersions to do so before sunset. It ensures our teams can assist quickly in case of any emergency,” he said.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing as the family waits anxiously for updates on Gauranga Ghosh.