Bhubaneswar: The body of a man was found in a suitcase in the Hariharpur gramya (village) jungle under Nachuni police limits of Khordha district on Sunday morning.
The victim, 32-year-old Manoranjan Mohapatra, is the son of Gangadhar from Lakhapada of Balabhadrapur panchayat under Ranpur block of Khordha district.
Three persons, including the deceased’s wife and his brother-in-law, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
According to sources in the police, the locked suitcase was first seen by some locals when they had gone to the nearby forest to collect firewood. The forest is located near Tarini Temple close to the NH-16 in the district.
On being informed, a police team reached the spot and broke open the suitcase. They found the body of Manoranjan Mohapatra inside it.
“We have sought the assistance of the dog squad and scientific team. The body of Manoranjan was folded in a manner to accommodate it inside the suitcase,” said Nachuni PS IIC Chandrasekhar Jena.
Nachuni police seized the body and registered a case in this connection. Police have launched a probe to crack the mystery. Police said that primary evidence suggests that it is a case of murder. Police are of the view that Manoranjan was killed elsewhere and the body was dumped near Tarini temple on Haripur Road near Nachuni.
Addressing a press conference on Monday afternoon, Nachuni PS IIC Chandrasekhar Jena, “We cracked the case after finding out who purchased the suitcase. We asked all shops selling such trolly bags in the area for information on the buyer and came to know that Manoranjan’s brother-in-law was the culprit.”
After interrogating him we learned about the other accused. “As of now, the murder was committed as revenge and Manoranjan was killed at his home and the body dumped in the forest,” he added.
However, things will become clear after a post-mortem report comes in, Balugaon SDPO Manas Ranjan Barik stated.
