Ramakanta Biswas

Police on Saturday exhumed the body of a 28-year-old cameraman in Nayagarh district, a little more than one month after he went missing under mysterious circumstances. 

Manas Kumar Swain, a cameraman by profession from Godipokhari village under Ranpur police limits had been missing from his home since February 5. 

According to family sources, Manas had gone to Chandbali of Bhadrak district last month to shoot video of a wedding ceremony and did not return home. The anxious family members later lodged a complaint with Chandbali police.

They suspect role of one Tapan Kumar Mohanty of Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar behind Manas’ death.  

“On February 5, my son boarded bus from Bhubaneswar at 12 pm for a shooting in Bhadrak. When he did not return home for some days, we thought he must be at Tapan sir's house. We doubt his involvement in the death of my son,” alleged Trilochan Swain, father of the deceased.  

On the basis of the complaint, Chandbali police had detained five persons and interrogated them in the custody. Following leads from them, the police and a scientific team exhumed the body of Manas from Badhipatna village under Ranpur police jurisdiction.  

“Father of Manas Kumar Swain had lodged a complaint that his son had gone to record a wedding video in Chandbali from where he was kidnapped by few persons over some dispute,” said Chandbali SDPO Debi Shankar Pratap. 

The SDPO said further investigation was underway and the details would be disclosed later.

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