Bhubaneswar: Police have reopened investigation into the death of Chinmayee Priyadarshini Sahu, a B-Tech student from Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), following a directive from the Orissa High Court.
In a significant development, police have arrested her male friend, Pritiman Dey, in connection with the incident that occurred over two years ago.
Chinmayee, a resident of Madanpur in Kalahandi district, was found dead in the power channel of Hirakud dam in Sambalpur on February 29, 2023. The tragic event unfolded a day after she attended her convocation ceremony at VSSUT in Burla on February 28, 2023, to collect her degree certificate. That evening, she visited the power channel bridge with a friend and subsequently went missing after falling into the water. Her body was recovered the following day.
Initially, the police registered a case and questioned two of Chinmayee’s friends, Pritiman Dey and Manas Tudu. The post-mortem and diatom tests confirmed drowning as the cause of death, leading investigators to classify the incident as a suicide. However, Chinmayee’s family rejected this conclusion, alleging foul play and insisting that she had been murdered.
Unconvinced by the police findings, her family sought justice through the Orissa High Court, which recently ordered a fresh probe into the case.
Acting on the court’s directive, the police have now reopened the investigation, with Pritiman Dey’s arrest marking a pivotal step in the renewed effort to uncover the truth behind Chinmayee’s death.
