Truck driver found dead on Brahmani riverbank; family suspects foul play

The body of a tipper (truck) driver identified as Rudra Nayak was spotted on the banks of Brahmani River at a sand quarry under mysterious circumstances near Nagena village under Sadar police limits in Dhenkanal district, on Sunday.

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Deceased Rudra, who belonged to Chaulia village in the district, had reportedly taken his truck to the riverbank at around 11.00 PM the previous night to collect sand. Some locals found him dead the next morning. The locals immediately informed Sadar police.

According to sources, villagers found his body in the morning, prompting local police to initiate a probe. The deceased’s family believes he was a victim of murder, citing suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. The family has lodged an FIR in this regard.

However, police officials are yet to release any statements concerning the allegation.

Accusations made by deceased's family

“The sand quarry owner along with JCB vehicle owner had hatched a plan and murdered my brother. I seek justice and the culprits must be punished. We are a well to do family and my father is well known in the locality. My brother was the lone son of my parents. Hence, they (quarry owner and JCB owner) killed him,” the deceased’s sister, Mita Nayak said.

“They were envious of my brother and my family,” Mita Nayak added.

“Rudra, aka Thuru, had been driving my JCB for the last 15-20 days. He had transported the first trip of sand and asked me how many more trips were to be transported. I told him to drop two more trips at a specified place,” the Prasant Kumar Parida expressed.

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“Four JCB vehicles were engaged at the quarry last night. The area is usually very dark and perhaps mistakably any one of them ran over him while backing up leading to his death,” Prasant Parida stated to mediapersons.