Balasore: : A 30-year-old school teacher has gone missing under mysterious circumstances while she was on Census duty in Mayurbhanj district, triggering a police investigation.The missing teacher was identified as Jyotsnarani Sahu, an assistant teacher at Dhenkinenjia Government Upper Primary School under Baripada sadar police station limits. She has been untraceable since Saturday morning after she did not return home from field work related to the ongoing Census 2026 exercise.According to sources, Sahu had been engaged in Census duties since April 16. On Saturday, she left her rented accommodation around 7 am for school and later proceeded to nearby villages for field verification work. Her last known contact was around 11:36 am when she spoke to her brother over the phone, confirming she was on duty. However, subsequent calls from family members went unanswered and her mobile phone was later found switched off.Concerned over her sudden disappearance, her landlord, Suresh Chandra Si, lodged a complaint at Baripada sadar police station on Sunday after conducting extensive searches in the locality.Police have registered a station diary entry and launched a search operation. “We have received a complaint regarding the missing teacher. An inquiry is underway and efforts are being made to trace her by exploring all possible angles,” inspector in-charge of Baripada sadar police station, Sasmita Mohanta, said.The education department has also been alerted. The district education officer has reportedly discussed the matter with the district collector and the SP to expedite the search operation.
