Missing Odisha student found murdered in a well

The dead body of a Plus-2 student missing since two days was found in a well at Dikhitpada village under Banapur police limits in Khordha on Wednesday. He was murdered, said the police.

As per reports, the deceased, identified as Asutosh Mohapatra, had left home in Khamarsahi in the afternoon of January 23, but never returned. Later in the evening, the family, received a ransom call from an unknown number demanding Rs 5 lakh.

“My son was a good student. He left for tuition on January 23 at 2 pm and after that his mobile phone was switched off,” said, the father of the deceased, Prashant Mohapatra.

Following the ransom call, the family had lodged a complaint at the Banapur police station the same evening.

Police tracked the phone number from which the extortion call was made and detained one Ashirwad Pradhan in this connection from Dikhitpada village just four kilometres away.

After questioning Pradhan, the body of the victim was recovered from the well in the backyard of his house on Wednesday.

Speaking on the incident, Balugaon SDPO, Manas Ranjan Barik said, “Following the complaint, we arrested Ashirwad Pradhan and he led us to the crime scene after questioning. Pradhan made the victim drink alcohol and then strangulated him to death by a rope before throwing the body into the well.”

Meanwhile, the police have sent the body for autopsy and Pradhan is being questioned to ascertain who else is involved in the case.

(Reported By Shaktikanta Mohapatra, OTV)