The Sukhnai river in Mauranipur claimed five lives on Tuesday afternoon when a family attempting a 'shraddh' ritual drifted into deep, fast-moving water. The group, led by Anoop Tiwari (40), entered the river around 1 pm. The current caught them. Anoop, his son Arpit (12), and three other relatives—Abhinav (24), Shreyansh alias Kallu (22), and Chhote alias Pushkar (25)—were swept under. Other family members watching from the bank tried to intervene but were pulled in by the same force that took the first group.
Mauranipur Circle Officer Ratnesh Kumar Singh told reporters that the initial swimmers strayed from the shallow section where the ritual was meant to take place. The water, deceptive in its calm surface, turned violent once they hit the deep channel. Rescue attempts by the remaining relatives failed as the current proved too strong for anyone without proper equipment. Singh stated that while several others in the group managed to swim back to safety, the five listed above could not fight the flow.
Police teams arrived within minutes of the first screams for help. Search and rescue operations focused on the downstream stretch of the Sukhnai, where the bodies were eventually located. All five victims were recovered and transported to the local hospital for post-mortem examinations. Singh emphasized that the investigation is currently focused on understanding exactly how the family strayed into the dangerous section, noting that the river's depth varies significantly in this stretch.
The incident has triggered immediate scrutiny of safety protocols during religious gatherings along the riverbank. Local residents have long warned about the Sukhnai's unpredictable currents, particularly during this time of year. Authorities are expected to review whether warning boards or barriers were in place at the Mauranipur section, a common site for such ceremonies. The next step involves the submission of the post-mortem reports, which will formally conclude the preliminary phase of the inquiry.