Ludhiana, Aug. 15 -- On the banks of the Sutlej in Machhiwara on Thursday, the air was heavy with grief as the family of 16-year-old Nisha Kumari performed her last rites - without her body.

Missing for seven days, Nisha, a resident of Balibeg Basti, had gone to work in the fields near Dopana on August 7. During a midday break, she entered the river with friends to bathe. Moments later, she slipped and was swept away by the strong current. Despite relentless searches with the help of divers and boats, her family could find no trace of her body.

When the hope faded, her devastated parents decided it was time to let her go. They fashioned an effigy in her likeness - dressing it in her clothes and fixing her photograph to its face. Guided ...