GUWAHATI: Manju Devi, a resident of Biswanath Chariali, Assam, who went missing after the stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday, January 29, has been found. She was rescued from Prayagraj railway station on Friday, January 31. Devi was last seen at the religious gathering with her family when they went for the ‘Maha Snan’.
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Speaking to GPlus, Nita Agarwal, Manju Devi’s daughter-in-law, confirmed her safe return. “Manju Devi has been found and rescued from Prayagraj Railway station. She is understandably traumatised by the ordeal. We are thankful that she has been found safe and well.”
Nisha Poddar, another relative, described the difficulties faced by the family during the search. “The Uttar Pradesh police and Maha Kumbh Mela organisers were unhelpful and provided misleading information regarding locations. The situation on the ground was appalling,” she told GPlus. “Despite the presence of an All Women’s Cell and numerous Lost & Found centres, announcements were infrequent and inconsistent. Our requests to display photos of Manju Devi were refused.”
Poddar further explained the challenges Manju Devi faced while lost. “When she became separated from us, she sought help from the police, but they ignored her pleas. She was left helpless, with no belongings, and was simply told to stay at the Aghori Akhara in the freezing cold.”
The family also claimed they struggled to get media attention. “We approached local media outlets, but they declined to cover the story. We then contacted Assam police and media for assistance. Today, we received a call from a person stationed at Prayagraj railway station. Manju Devi had sought her help. The person, originally from Assam, contacted Biswanath and Tezpur police and got our contact numbers. This led to her being found. We are grateful for the person's help, but many other people from Assam are still stranded and need assistance.”
Meanwhile, another woman, Lila Devi from Tinsukia is also missing.
On the other hand, a businessman from Hailakandi in Assam, Niti Ranjan Pal, died in the stampede that had claimed 30 lives and left over 60 injured.