Kendrapara (Odisha): The decomposed body of a 23-year-old Dalit man, who had been missing for over a week, was recovered from a bush in Odisha‘s Kendrapara district on Friday, June 5, a day after a person was arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.
Gouranga Sethi of Mahadeipatana village had been missing since May 27. His father, Arun Sethi, lodged a first information report (FIR) on May 29, alleging that his son had been kidnapped and killed by six villagers.
Acting on the complaint, police arrested Pratap Mahakuda, a resident of the same village, on Thursday, June 4.
During interrogation, Mahakuda confessed to his involvement in the crime and disclosed the location where the body had been dumped, a police officer said.
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Following the lead, police recovered the decomposed body packed in a sack near Petapada village. A shoe recovered from the spot helped family members identify the victim.
Preliminary investigation suggested the accused bore a grudge against Gouranga Sethi for allegedly damaging the windowpanes of some vehicles in the village last month. The suspects allegedly assaulted him with iron rods and bamboo sticks, resulting in his death, police said.
Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria said forensic experts examined the spot where the body was found. DNA samples of the victim’s family members would be collected to establish the victim’s identity conclusively, he said.
Efforts are underway to nab the other accused in the case, police added.
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