Bhadrak: In a shocking incident, the body of Niharika Dalei, a Block Agriculture Officer (BAO) posted in Basudevpur, was found hanging in her rented house at Balinagar village under Basudevpur police limits in Bhadrak district on Wednesday.
According to reports, Niharika, a native of Bhadrak, had been serving as the Block Agriculture Officer in Basudevpur for the past two years. She was residing in the rented accommodation with her seven-year-old daughter.
Police said Niharika had been on leave for the past week and had not reported to duty. On Wednesday morning, after dropping her daughter at school, she reportedly went shopping before returning home. However, she did not respond to phone calls thereafter.
Her husband, a software engineer based in Bhubaneswar, became concerned after failing to reach her and contacted the landlord’s nephew to check on her. When repeated knocks on the locked door went unanswered, the landlord alerted the Basudevpur police.
A police team led by Bhadrak Sadar SDPO Bichitrananda Sethi and the IIC of Basudevpur police station reached the spot. Upon breaking open the lock, they discovered Niharika’s body hanging from an apron.
The police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding her death. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and further inquiry is underway.
