Berhampur: Two days before three attackers flung him to death in a canal in Karnataka’s Koppal, Bibhas Nayak, who hailed from Kandhamal district, assured his mother he would meet her on March 10 in Agra, where his parents resided, family members said.
Bibhas was thrown into the Tungabhadra canal on March 6 night when he tried to protect two women, including a 27-year-old Israeli national, from sexual assault. Karnataka police recovered the body of Bibhas on Saturday morning about 2 km from the crime scene and informed his family. Bibhas was the only son of Bijay Kumar Nayak, bishop of Agra Diocese and moderator of the Church of North India (CNI) Synod.
Bibhas (29) had posted pictures of Unesco world heritage site of Hampi on social media, describing the picturesque area, his brother-in-law Akash Paul, a pastor in Agra, said. Bibhas was an HR manager of St Stephen’s Hospital in New Delhi. “We can’t believe he is no more. All the family members are shocked by his untimely demise,” Paul added.
Though his family members did not know when he visited Karnataka, they later found out he was there. Two days before the horror unfolded, his mother called him, asking him to come to Agra. “He assured his mother he would visit on Monday (March 10),” said Paul.
Firoj Pradhan, a cousin of the deceased, said Bibhas went to Chennai from Bhubaneswar about 15 days ago. “From Chennai, he might have gone to Karnataka, as he was very interested in travelling to different tourist places across the country. Earlier, he also visited several places on his motorcycle,” he said.
Hundreds of people had gathered for his funeral procession at G Udayagiri on Sunday. Several others, mostly bishops and pastors from different states, visited the Nayak’s home in Derabadi on Monday to give solace to the bereaved family. His parents are still in shock, family sources said.
His family members have arranged a memorial meeting for Bibhas at Gudripadi mission compound in G Udayagiri on Thursday.