Bhubaneswar: The decomposed body of a missing young woman was found in a paddy field near Kendupalli village under Banarpal police station in Angul district on Tuesday.
According to reports, the woman had gone missing on April 26 after leaving her home to board a train at Talcher Road railway station. Her family members filed a missing complaint with the Banarpal police station after they found her phone switched off and failed to trace her despite an extensive search.
The victim, a resident of Lodhajhari village under the Kaniha block in Angul district, was working at a private company in Bhubaneswar.
It is learnt that she reportedly hired an auto-rickshaw when her train was unexpectedly cancelled at Talcher. The auto-rickshaw driver is suspected of raping and killing the young woman before fleeing the scene.
Upon being informed, police reached the spot and launched a search operation for the auto-driver as he has been absconding since the incident.
However, she went missing shortly after, and her disappearance remained a mystery until her highly decomposed body was discovered near a canal close to Kendupali.
The gruesome discovery has sent shockwaves through the community, and police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.