Koraput murder case cracked: Three accused, including minor, held in Anteshwar Mali’s killing

The Koraput police on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the murder case of Anteshwar Mali, whose brutal killing in Panasput last Saturday sent shockwaves across the region.

According to police, the murder was pre-planned and driven by previous enmity. The accused allegedly used a heavy wooden stick and a sharp-edged stone to kill the victim.

The investigation revealed that the key accused, Rahul Benia and Tubla Takri, along with a minor, were all working at a snack shop in Dumuri Square. Police sources said the trio had a long-standing feud with Mali.

On the day of the incident, after finishing work at the shop, the three followed Mali on a bike from Dumuriput to Tinikonia Square. They intercepted him and allegedly attacked him with lethal weapons, leading to his death.

After solving the case, police have now carried out a crime scene reconstruction to understand the sequence of events and collect additional evidence for prosecution. Authorities have assured that further investigation is underway and that strict action will be taken against all those involved.

“The Town Police station received a call on August 31, 2025, that a mutilated body was spotted near Panasput Hill. It was a difficult case for us as we had to first establish the identity of the body. IIC Satyananda Patra, along with his team, has done a commendable job,” informed Amrit Mohanty, Koraput Additional SP.

“They immediately rushed to the spot and ascertained the identity of the body. Later, it was known to be the body of Anteshwar Mali of Malituta village. Based on his father’s complaint, a case was registered at the Town Police Station. After investigating in different technical terms, verifying local input, we learnt that Rahul Benia and Tubla Takri killed him. The two, along with a minor, followed him and murdered him near Dumuriput Hill,” he added.