In an exemplary display of humanity, a constable with the Mantralayam police carried the dead body of a woman, who allegedly ended her life in the river Tungabhadra, for nearly a kilometre through hilly terrain. The constable reportedly carried the body on his back as there was no one to help and since it could not be left in the waters until help arrived.
The deceased, Jayashree (41), hailed from Balapalle village in Chamarajanagar district of neighbouring Karnataka. She, along with her family members reportedly came to Mantralayam to offer prayers at Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. After having darshan the other family members left for their native place at around 8 a.m. on Sunday, while Jayashree stayed back.
Mantralayam Circle Inspector (CI) Madhusudhan Rao said that in the afternoon Jayashree had called and informed her family members that she was going to take the extreme step, and they sought help from the police to trace her.
“As soon as we received information, we sent teams to search for the woman and alerted constable G. Ranga Swamy, who looks after protocol duties at Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. He rushed towards the banks of river Tungabhadra,” Mr. Madhusudhan Rao told The Hindu. Meanwhile, the family sent Jayashree’s photograph for identification.
With the photograph on his mobile, the 2009-batch constable rushed towards the river. “I ran towards the river, and after passing through boulders and muddy terrain, found the body of a woman floating in the waters, exactly 17 minutes after the search was initiated,” Mr. Ranga Swamy told The Hindu.
Apart from Mr. Ranga Swamy, there was another constable and a local fisherman near the place. “We brought the woman to the shore and even tried CPR to pump out the water she had swallowed, but it was too late,” the constable said. With less rainfall this season, the Tungabhadra river did not receive much inflow, and the place where she was found was not very shallow, he added.
They called for an ambulance to shift the body, however, it was not immediately available at the time. “It was very hot, and we could not leave the dead body in the open, as dogs might eat it. I took the body on my back and walked towards the banks. I had to pass through boulders and mud to reach the banks, and from there the body was shifted to hospital,” he said.
“I would have been happy if the woman’s life had been saved,” Mr. Ranga Swamy said.
(Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts can dial 100)
Published - October 12, 2026 08:34 pm IST