HOWRAH: Fifteen-year-old national-level shooter Damayanti Sen, whose disappearance from her Howrah home on Friday morning sparked widespread concern on social media, was found on Saturday morning near Ramkrishnapur Ghat, police and family members said.Damayanti had left home on Friday morning, reportedly to buy milk, but did not return. Her absence triggered panic among relatives and prompted appeals for help online. Police later traced her movements through CCTV footage, which showed her at Howrah Station and later at the Rathyatra in Mahesh, Serampore.On Saturday morning, two morning walkers recognised her as she wandered near the Ramkrishnapur Ferry Jetty and alerted her family. Police said she was found barely a kilometre from her home, sitting in a corner of the riverside ghat under Howrah police jurisdiction. According to police, she appeared to be deeply absorbed in meditation when located, adding to the mystery surrounding the case.Family members said Damayanti later indicated that she had travelled to several places after leaving home because she had been under intense pressure while trying to balance academics and shooting. A Class X student of Diocesan School in Kolkata, she is known to be academically bright and a talented shooter.Her father, Dhruvajyoti Sen, currently head teacher of Andul Mahiyari Ranibala Kundu Choudhury Girls’ High School, told those close to the family that his daughter had recently been under mental strain. He also said she had shown signs of a “spiritual shift” in recent days. According to him, she had mentioned the name Baphomet once, but after being scolded, never raised it again. Family members said she had at times spoken of being “called” by the entity.Baphomet is a goat-headed, anthropomorphic figure rooted in Western occultism and esotericism. Historically, the name dates back to the 14th-century Knights Templar trials. However, its iconic modern depiction—a winged, hermaphroditic goat with arms bearing the alchemical terms Solve and Coagula—was created by the French occultist Éliphas Lévi in 1856. It is often described in occult literature as a symbol associated with secret worship and is also known as the official symbol of the Church of Satan. Senior Trinamool Congress leader and local MLA Arup Roy, who knows the family, said, “There is no doubt that Damayanti is a very good girl, very good in studies and highly talented in shooting. But she is somewhat spiritually inclined. Her father had told me several times that she occasionally became overly absorbed or excitable about certain religious matters. I was very worried when she went missing. I feel relieved she is back safe.”Dhruvajyoti Sen has said he plans to arrange psychological counselling for his daughter with an expert counsellor to help reduce her stress.Police said further procedure would be followed before Damayanti is allowed to return home. “Damayanti will be produced in court in the afternoon. After that, if she wishes to return home, she will be handed over to her parents. Otherwise, she will be sent to a home as per procedure,” police stated.
