NEW DEHI: A 21-year-old woman allegedly jumped into the Chenab River in Doda district on Saturday after speaking to her father over the phone and telling him, “This is my life,” before saying, “Bye-bye, Papa.” A joint rescue operation was launched soon after the incident, but there was no immediate trace of her.The incident took place around 2 pm at the Shiva Dal bridge near Prem Nagar. Police, personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local volunteers joined the search operation in the river after the woman, identified as Payal Devi, reportedly jumped from the bridge.A video purportedly recorded by passersby who attempted to discourage her from taking the step shows Devi saying “bye-bye” before jumping into the Chenab. The video subsequently went viral on social media.Officials said the circumstances that led to Devi taking the extreme step were not immediately known.
‘This is my own life’
The final conversation between Devi and her father, Krishan Lal, came shortly before she disappeared into the river.According to Lal, Devi had gone to a mela earlier in the day. She later called him and said that she was feeling unwell and intended to consult a doctor.When the doctor was reportedly unavailable, Devi began making her way back. At some point, she apparently got onto a motorcycle.Lal said he subsequently received a call from a person who was accompanying his daughter. The person told him that Devi had run towards the river.The development prompted Lal to speak to his daughter over the phone. He said he repeatedly asked her what had happened and whether somebody had said or done anything to her.Lal recalled Devi telling him, “Nobody should come near me.”He continued trying to understand what had happened and urged her to explain why she was behaving that way.According to Lal, Devi responded, “No, Papa. This is my own life. My heart tells me that I should go this way.”She then told her father, “Bye-bye, Papa,” before the call ended, he said.
Passersby tried to stop her
The moments before Devi jumped were also reportedly captured on video.The video, which was said to have been recorded by passersby at the bridge, shows people attempting to discourage her. Despite their efforts, she reportedly jumped into the Chenab.The footage later circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to the incident and the efforts of those present to prevent her from taking the step.
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Search operation launched
Following the incident, police, SDRF personnel and local volunteers launched a joint rescue operation in the Chenab River.Teams searched the river for Devi, but officials said there was no trace of her.The search operation was undertaken after the reported jump from the Shiva Dal bridge, a location near Prem Nagar in Doda district.As the rescue teams continued their efforts, the reasons behind Devi’s actions remained unclear. Officials said the circumstances that led to her decision were not immediately known.Her father’s account indicates that she had earlier complained of feeling unwell and had intended to see a doctor, but what happened between that conversation and her reported arrival at the bridge remains unclear.The investigation and search operation are continuing, while authorities are attempting to establish the sequence of events leading up to the incident.
