Bhubaneswar: Police recovered human skeletal remains from an abandoned building on the Aska Spinning Mill premises Wednesday.
Kotinada police said the remains were found in an unused structure inside the defunct mill and have been sent to the forensic department at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, for DNA profiling.
Police suspect the skeleton could be of A Shankar Patra, 24, a grocery shop owner from Narsinghpur who has been missing for nearly 18 months. “We can confirm the identity only after the DNA report comes in,” said Kotinada IIC Damodar Bihari.
Patra went missing on November 29, 2024. His family filed a missing person report on December 1 after failing to trace him. Family members said they identified the remains from clothing and footwear found at the site. Patra’s mother visited the spot after police were alerted and claimed the remains were her son’s.
The family has alleged foul play. According to Patra’s father, A Laxman Patra, his son left home after getting calls from friends and never returned. His phone was switched off after that and the friends’ explanations were not satisfactory.
The family suspects he was killed and his body dumped in the abandoned building. Police said no murder complaint was filed earlier. An unnatural death case has now been registered and an investigation is underway, Bihari added.
