Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Sep 10: A lady who was thrown into River Kumaradhara in full flow from over the bridge, miraculously survived after being dragged by the river current for four kilometres. The girl, who saved herself by clinging on to a branch of a tree that had bent over the river, stayed put there all through the night. She was rescued by the police with help from locals on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred near Pijakkala Paloli in Kadaba village in the taluk on Tuesday September 9 morning.

A boy named Anand was raised by the girl's family, which gave him shelter as he was an orphan and belonged to a family known to them. Anand fell in love with Padmavati, daughter of Chennu, and in course of time, put forth the proposal to marry her. As the parents of the girl did not have any reservations about this relationship, Anand came closer to the girl over a period of time, and developed physical relationship. This unethical relationship resulted in pregnancy of the girl, who is in the sixth month of pregnancy now.

Her parents were not aware of these developments, and the boy had convinced Padmavati to abort her pregnancy. He reportedly asked Padmavati, who was in her grandmother's place at Tannirpantha in Alike, to reach Uppinangady on Monday evening. He picked her up from there in a motor bike, telling her that he would arrange for her abortion at Kadaba hospital.

Anand took Padmavati to Subrahmanya temple from Uppinangady. From Subrahmanya, he took her to the bridge over River Kumaradhara at Pulikukku. He said he wanted to spend some time with her by loitering around the area, as there was time for the doctor to reach the hospital. He also told her that there was some problem with the motor bike. At around 7.30 pm, even as Padmavati stood on the bridge and was staring at the river, Anand suddenly came from behind, lifted her up and tossed her into River Kumaradhara, the girl said.

It is said that Padmavati, who was rolling bidis at her home on September 5, had left for Arasinamakki for undergoing training in tailoring. She did not come back by evening. When her friends were questioned, her parents came to know that she had told them that she would be visiting some friends. After they called up some relatives over phone thereafter, they came to know that Padmavati was at the house of her grandmother in Tannirpantha village, it is said.

Anand told Padmavati that he had borrowed the motor bike and Rs 5,000 from her relative named Somanath residing near Kokkada in Beltangady taluk. Padmavati said he also told her that he was required to spend Rs 20,000 for this abortion.

Padmavati, who knew swimming, was swept away by the river after being dropped into it, before she could catch hold of a tree branch and survive. Murali from Mooraje and his friends had visited the river at around 12 midnight that day to check whether the fishing line they had left behind in the river had succeeded in attracting any fish. They heard wails from the midst of the river. The youth, who had heard the rumours that a local youth named Dharmapal, who had drowned at the spot about a month back while fishing, had turned into a ghost and making his appearance felt by making strange sounds, fled to their homes.

In the morning, Murali reached the spot along with some of his friends from local Yuvaka Mandala, and reached the middle of river in a raft. He saw a girl shivering on the tree branch. By then, another person named Sundar Maistry came there with his raft. Murali and friends helped Padmavati to get down on the raft and brought her to the riverbank. The police, who were waiting there, admitted her into the government hospital at Kadaba. Later, she was taken to the government hospital in Puttur for advanced treatment.

Taluk panchayat president, Pulasya Rai, taluk panchayat former member, Radhakrishna Borkar, and others visited the lady and offered her moral support. They demanded for the immediate arrest of the accused.

It is gathered that the policemen have taken the accused into custody from Arasinamakki near here, although the police are yet to confirm this information.