Missing teen, snake slough and ‘naagin’ rumours: Auraiya woman's disappearance sparks frenzy

Investigators believe the snake’s slough may have been staged to dramatise the incident (Image: CNN-News18)

• A 19-year-old woman disappeared from Auraiya, sparking rumors of a 'naagin'.
• Police dismissed supernatural claims, treating it as a missing person or elopement case.
• Snake skin found in her room may have been staged to mislead villagers.

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A recent incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya district has left residents stunned and fuelled superstition. The case revolves around a 19-year-old woman whose sudden disappearance has triggered rumours in her village.

Her family said the 19-year-old had retired to her room on Sunday night like any other day. As her mother entered her room the following morning, she discovered that her daughter was missing. What startled her was the sight of her daughter’s clothes and jewellery placed on the bed, beside what appeared to be a five-foot-long snake skin.

The unusual scene led to widespread rumours in the village that she was an “ichchadhari naagin,” a mythical serpent said to take human form.

What has her family said?

Her family said that over the past few months, she had often spoken about seeing snakes in her dreams, claiming that a serpent would come and lie beside her while she slept, CNN-News18 reported.

Around three months ago, she reportedly visited the Sheshnag Temple in Kumhel, Mainpuri district, and brought home an idol of Sheshnag. According to her relatives, her references to snakes grew more frequent and intense after that visit.

“After coming back from the temple, she kept saying that a snake visits her in dreams and sleeps near her. We were worried but did not think something like this would happen," a family member was quoted in the report.

On the day she went missing, the young woman reportedly took the Sheshnag idol along with her.

Police dismiss ‘naagin’ narrative

While the villagers were busy discussing supernatural theories, the police firmly dismissed any such angle. “There is no truth in the theory of her becoming a ‘naagin’. These are baseless rumours. We are investigating it as a missing person case," Circle Officer (CO) Manoj Gangwar told CNN-News18.

As per police sources, the woman’s family had been pressuring her to marry, but she was not in favour of it. Officers suspect that her visit to the temple, her recurring stories about snake dreams, and the staged presence of the snake skin were possibly part of a pre-planned attempt to create confusion once she disappeared.

Accounts from villagers have further strengthened this line of suspicion. One resident claimed to have seen the girl roaming by herself in the adjoining fields in recent days.

“She was going towards the fields and looking around in deserted spots. We didn’t understand why at the time. Now it seems she might have been searching for the snake’s skin,” a villager was quoted.

Investigators believe the snake’s slough may have been staged to dramatise the incident and deflect prompt pursuit.

Three teams have been formed by the police, with the case being treated as suspected elopement rather than anything supernatural.

Gangwar said appropriate actions would be taken once facts are established.