TV
In a disturbing turn of events, the body of a 9-year-old girl who had gone missing from Adia village under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district was recovered on Thursday, nearly five days after her disappearance.
Also Read: Minor boy found dead in septic tank was sexually abused before murder: Puri SP
The decomposed body was found just 400 metres away from her home, in the nearby Coast Canal. The discovery came during a joint operation carried out by fire services and ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) teams.
Though retrieval of the minor's body sent shockwaves through local community, authorities remain cautious in labeling it a murder. “Whether it is a case of murder or something else can only be determined after a detailed probe,” Bhadrak Additional SP said.
Top officials, including Bhadrak SP, Additional SP, Basudevpur tehsildar, and Sadar SDPO, along with Officers-in-Charge (OICs) from four police stations, were present at the site, underlining seriousness of the incident and priority the police are giving to this case.
“Whatever may be the death mystery, it is certainly a sorrowful incident. During preliminary probe, we became little bit sure of what has happened. Culprits are involved in the incident and we are trying to nab them as soon as possible,” SP, Manoj Kumar Rout, said.
“We have also listed out the names of some suspected persons. We will see that whatever modalities are needed would be completed by today. Whoever is involved in the case will be nabbed and legal actions will be initiated against them,” the SP stated.
“A preliminary investigation suggests that it is a case of murder. However, this can only be ascertained after a post-mortem report comes in. Since the body has decomposed, we are sending the body to Cuttack FMT (Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology at SCB Medical College & Hospital in Cuttack),” the SP expressed to mediapersons.
