His elder brother and another youth who accompanied him on the trip, were initially swept away by high tidal waves but managed to stay afloat and rescued by onlookers
Subhasish Chaudhuri, Kalyani: A BA first-year student from Basirhat in North 24-Parganas has gone missing after he was swept away by high tidal waves at a beach in Puri on Tuesday evening.
While Sanju Bhattacharyya, 21, is still missing, his elder brother Sourabh Bhattacharyya, 24, and another youth Sahin, 21, who had accompanied Sanju on the trip, were initially swept away but managed to stay afloat and were rescued by onlookers.
Police and local sources said the three youths, all residents of Kachharipara in Basirhat’s ward 9, had dared ignore warnings issued by the Puri district administration asking tourists not to venture into the turbulent sea. The sea had turned rough following depression in the Odisha coast of the Bay of Bengal and the accompanying squall.
Family sources in Basirhat said Sanju, his elder brother Sourabh and their common friend Sahin reached Puri on Tuesday afternoon. In the evening, the trio went to the sea beach for a bath.
Sanju’s father Prasanta Bhattacharyya, a businessman by profession, rushed to Puri with some relatives and friends after getting the news.
The family has alleged non-cooperation by the Puri beach authorities and police in tracing Sanju, sources said.
