Kendrapara: The decomposed body of a 23-year-old Dalit man, who had been missing for more than a week, was recovered from a bush in Kendrapara district on Friday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Gouranga Sethi of Mahadeipatana village, had been missing since May 27. His father, Arun Sethi, lodged a complaint with police on May 29, alleging that his son had been abducted and killed by six villagers.
Acting on the complaint, police arrested one suspect, Pratap Mahakuda of the same village, on Thursday. During questioning, Mahakuda allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime and led investigators to the location where the body had been concealed, a police officer said.
Based on the information provided by the accused, police recovered the decomposed body, which had been packed in a sack and dumped near Petapada village. Family members identified the victim with the help of a shoe found at the recovery site.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused allegedly harboured a grudge against Sethi over an incident last month involving damage to the windowpanes of several vehicles in the village. Police suspect that Sethi was assaulted with iron rods and bamboo sticks, resulting in his death.
Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria said forensic experts examined the spot where the body was recovered. He added that DNA samples of the victim’s family members would be collected to conclusively establish the identity of the deceased.
Police said efforts are continuing to trace and arrest the remaining accused persons allegedly involved in the crime. Further investigation is underway.
