Bhubaneswar: The body of a retired police official, who went missing six days back, was recovered from in the Banamalipur jungle under the Khandapada police station limits in Odisha’s Nayagarh district early on Tuesday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Somanath Pattanaik, a native of Gopalprasad village of Badasahar Gram Panchayat in Bhapur block.
According to reports, Somanath had gone on a cycle to bring an LPG cylinder from Khandapada on Wednesday morning but didn’t return home. He, however, called his family members informing them that miscreants had stolen his cycle and bag. When his family members tried to call him after some time they found his phone switched off. Unable to trace Somnath’s whereabouts, his family members along with villagers went to Khandapada, but could not find him.
Later, his wife Anusaya lodged an FIR with the Fategarh police.
On Tuesday morning, some villagers of Banamalipur spotted his body in the nearby jungle when they had gone there for defecation. They then informed the matter to his family members.
While the exact reason behind his death is yet to be ascertained, Somnath’s family members alleged that he was murdered and his body dumped in the jungle. They have demanded a proper investigation into the incident.
On being informed, a team of police reached the spot and started an investigation.
