Puri: A 40-year-old man accused of murdering his mother and burying her body in the kitchen of their rented house in Puri was arrested in Jharkhand after a 57-day manhunt, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Madan Gajanan Dalei, was apprehended in Jamshedpur (Tatanagar), Jharkhand, where he was reportedly working at a snack shop. His arrest followed an investigation involving CCTV footage analysis and mobile phone tracking, Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Prateek Singh said.
The case came to light on August 24 after the landlord, Manorama Sahoo, alerted the police about a foul smell emanating from a locked room in the rented house. Sahoo, who lived in another portion of the building, grew suspicious and informed the police.
A team from Kumbharapada police station reached the spot and noticed during an inspection that a portion of the kitchen floor appeared to have been freshly plastered with cement. On digging the area, police allegedly found the body of a woman buried beneath it.
The deceased was identified as Annapurna Dalei, the accused’s mother. The body had reportedly been covered with a concrete structure, allegedly to conceal the crime.
According to SP Singh, the house owner told investigators that Madan and his mother had been living in the rented accommodation for the past five to six months. They would leave the house in the morning and return in the evening, maintaining little interaction with other residents.
Police subsequently examined CCTV footage from cameras installed at the rented house and in the surrounding area. The footage reportedly showed the mother and son leaving the house in the morning and sitting near the Jagannath Temple, apparently seeking alms, before returning at around 11 pm.
Investigators also found footage suggesting that the accused had procured sand and cement on August 21, providing important clues during the probe, the SP said.
Police suspect that the woman died on August 20 and that the accused subsequently buried her body in the kitchen. The exact circumstances of her death remain under investigation.
As part of the probe, police tracked the accused’s mobile phone and established his links to Parlakhemundi in Gajapati district, from where he originally hailed. A team visited the district and questioned his brother, who provided information about the family. Investigators also learnt that the accused had a sister living in Kolkata.
Police contacted the sister and discovered that Madan had called her, claiming that their mother was unwell. However, he had not informed her about their mother’s death, Singh said.
Further analysis of phone records led investigators to Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. However, by the time a police team reached the location, the accused had fled.
Police teams subsequently searched for him in several locations, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Rewards were also announced at various places to encourage people to provide information about his whereabouts, the SP said.
The accused had reportedly left little digital evidence, making it difficult for investigators to trace his movements.
Recently, police received information that Madan had returned to Jamshedpur and was working at a snack shop. Acting on the tip-off, a team from Kumbharapada police station reached the location and arrested him.
He was subsequently brought to Puri for further investigation. According to the SP, the accused admitted to the crime during questioning.
