Bhubaneswar: Panic gripped residents near Purighat in Cuttack city on Wednesday after the headless body of an unidentified woman was found floating in the Kathajodi river under Purighat Police Station limits in Cuttack.
According to initial information, locals spotted the body in the river in the morning and immediately alerted police. Purighat police reached the spot, recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem. The woman has not been identified yet.
Since the head is missing, establishing her identity has become a major challenge for investigators.
Preliminary evidence suggests it could be a case of murder. Police suspect the woman was killed elsewhere, beheaded, and the body dumped in the river to destroy evidence.
“Finding the severed head and identifying the deceased are our immediate priorities,” a police officer said.
Teams have been deployed to search the surrounding areas of the riverbank and collect evidence from the spot. The police have registered a case and started investigation.
They are also checking missing persons reports and using forensic methods to establish the identity of the woman. Police said further details will emerge after post-mortem and forensic reports are received.
