Missing shooter Damayanti Sen found safe after 48 hours in Howrah
Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old national-level shooter Damayanti Sen, who vanished from her Howrah home for 48 hours after a routine errand, was found safe near a ferry jetty on Saturday morning by two morning-walkers. A four-member SIT formed to trace her has yet to explain her movements — and her family is saying nothing.
Key Takeaways
Damayanti Sen , 15, a national-level shooter from Central Howrah , went missing on Thursday afternoon, 17 July while running a household errand.
She was found on Saturday morning, 19 July near Ramkrishnapur Ferry Jetty , Howrah, by two morning-walkers who recognised her.
Her father, Dhrubajyoti Sen , collected her from the spot; the family has made no statement on her whereabouts during the 48 hours .
She was sighted twice — on CCTV at Howrah Station (Thursday) and at the Mahesh Rath Yatra, Serampore (Friday afternoon).
A four-member SIT was formed on Friday; it had not issued any statement as of the time of reporting.
Sen had recently been selected for national team trials in shooting.
National-level shooter Damayanti Sen, 15, who had been missing since Thursday afternoon, 17 July, was found safe and returned home on Saturday morning, 19 July, after being spotted near the Ramkrishnapur Ferry Jetty in Howrah district, adjacent to Kolkata. Her safe return brought relief to her family, friends, and the shooting sports community across West Bengal.
How She Was Found
Two morning-walkers spotted Sen loitering aimlessly near the ferry jetty and were able to identify her. They promptly contacted her family, and her father, Dhrubajyoti Sen, rushed to the location and brought her home. The circumstances of her return have not been elaborated upon by the family, who have declined to comment on her whereabouts during the 48-hour absence.
Key Sightings During the Missing Period
Sen had been sighted twice between Thursday and Saturday, according to reports. She was first captured on CCTV footage at Howrah Station, where she was seen moving between platform number four and platform number five. A second sighting placed her on Friday afternoon at the Mahesh Rath Yatra in Serampore, Hooghly district. That information reportedly spread rapidly on social media, prompting authorities to deploy four separate police teams to trace her.
Investigation Under Way
A four-member Special Investigating Team (SIT) was constituted on Friday specifically to track Sen and determine the circumstances of her disappearance. As of the time of filing this report, the SIT had not issued any statement, and the mystery surrounding her movements over the two days remains unresolved. Her family, too, has not offered any explanation.
Background on Sen and West Bengal Shooting
Sen, a resident of Central Howrah, had recently been selected for trials with the national shooting team — a significant milestone for a teenager. She had left her home on Thursday afternoon to purchase household items, carrying her mobile phone, and did not return.
Notably, this is not the first time controversy has touched the shooting community in West Bengal. In March last year, the West Bengal Rifle Association suspended Olympian and former Indian rifle coach Joydeep Karmakar from all shooting activities in the state. The suspension followed a series of social media posts in January in which Karmakar accused the association of corruption.
With Sen now home safely, attention turns to whether the SIT will conclude its inquiry and whether her family will shed light on what happened during those 48 hours.
Point of View
But the unexplained 48-hour gap — with confirmed sightings at a major railway hub and a crowded public festival — raises questions that a serious investigation cannot leave unanswered. For a teenager on the cusp of national selection, the episode also underlines the welfare gaps around young athletes in state-level sports systems. West Bengal's shooting establishment, still recovering from the Joydeep Karmakar controversy, can ill afford another unresolved cloud over the sport.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Damayanti Sen?
Damayanti Sen is a 15-year-old national-level shooter from Central Howrah, West Bengal, who had recently been selected for trials with the Indian national shooting team. She went missing on 17 July and was found safe on the morning of 19 July.
Where was Damayanti Sen found?
She was spotted loitering near the Ramkrishnapur Ferry Jetty in Howrah district on Saturday morning, 19 July. Two morning-walkers recognised her and alerted her family, after which her father brought her home.
Where was she sighted during the 48 hours she was missing?
She was captured on CCTV footage at Howrah Station on Thursday, moving between platform four and platform five. On Friday afternoon she was spotted at the Mahesh Rath Yatra in Serampore, Hooghly district.
What is the SIT formed to investigate her disappearance?
A four-member Special Investigating Team was constituted on Friday to track Sen and determine the circumstances of her disappearance. As of the latest reports, the SIT had not issued any public statement.
Has the family explained what happened?
No. As of the time of reporting, neither Damayanti Sen's family nor the investigating team had made any statement explaining her whereabouts during the 48-hour period she was missing.
