Deleted chats deepen mystery in VSSUT student Anjaneya Dash’s death; family questions slow probe

The mystery surrounding the death of final-year VSSUT Mechanical Engineering student Anjaneya Dash remains unresolved more than three weeks after his body was recovered from under the PC Bridge in Burla of Sambalpur district.

Further, police investigations have yet to clarify the circumstances leading to the tragedy, leaving the family seeking answers amid deleted chats, deepening the puzzle further.

Deleted Chats Under Scrutiny

According to the deceased’s family members, Anjaneya had been in contact with several individuals via phone calls and WhatsApp before his death.

However, messages exchanged before the incident were reportedly deleted, obstructing efforts to determine whom he had communicated with. Police are reportedly examining available CCTV footage and other digital records to reconstruct his final interactions, though the family remains unsatisfied with the progress.

Family Raises Questions Over Probe

Dash’s family has expressed serious concerns about the handling of the case, highlighting that even after 21 days; no significant progress has been made in uncovering the truth.

His father has questioned the pace and scope of the police inquiry, noting that critical leads, including the student’s mobile phone and messaging history, have not been fully examined.

"No clarity has been provided as to what happened to Anjaneya's phone; whether it fell into the river or was lost is not known yet. The people who were in touch with Anjaneya and were chatting with him on WhatsApp just before his disappearance that night are yet to be physically interrogated,” said Anjaneya’s father, Rabindra Nath Dash.

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CCTV Footage Traces Last Movements

As per earlier reports, Campus CCTV footage showed Dash, wearing a green T-shirt and half-pant, walking toward the PC Bridge around 9:13 pm on the night of September 1.

He was found the following night in a severely injured state under the bridge. Police immediately rushed him to Burla Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Dash, a native of Jajpur district residing at the Pulastya Hostel on VSSUT campus, had no confirmed history of distress publicly known. Police have registered the case as an unexplained death while keeping open the possibilities of both accidental fall and foul play.

His body was sent for post-mortem examination to determine the precise cause of death, and investigators are analysing all digital and physical evidence linked to the case.