Bhubaneswar: A delivery boy who went missing while on duty was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the capital city on Thursday, triggering concerns over safety of gig workers.
The body of the deceased, identified as Nilambar Bhoi, was recovered from a field in Pandara area, under the jurisdiction of Mancheswar police station. Nilambar was employed with an online delivery firm and had gone out two days earlier to pick up and deliver an order.
According to sources, after Nilambar collected the order, repeated calls were made by the company to both him and the customer as the delivery could not be completed. Soon after, he went missing.
Following his disappearance, family members lodged a missing complaint at Laxmisagar police station. Acting on the complaint, police initiated an investigation and tracked the delivery boy’s mobile phone, which ultimately led to the recovery of his body on Thursday.
Police found a cloth tied around Nilambar’s neck, while his bicycle and a water bottle were lying near his body. The body was located nearly 100 metres inside a field from the main road, raising suspicion over the circumstances of his death.
Personnel from Mancheswar police station, along with a scientific team, reached the spot, seized the body and sent it for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Nilambar, a resident of the Laxmisagar police station area, had been staying at Mahadev Nagar for the past two years due to his work. Police officials stated that it is not yet clear whether the death was a case of murder or natural causes, and further investigation is underway.
