Puri: The bare body of a mentally challenged woman with a handkerchief tied to her neck was found near the Jagannath temple in Konark early this morning.
Locals spotted the body lying near a betel shop and informed the police.
A scientific and a dog squad from Puri rushed to the spot and started investigation. According to sources, the woman used to live near the Jagannath temple since last four year.
"Prima facie, it seems, she has been murdered. An unnatural death case has been registered and investigation into the incident is on," informed Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi.
Nimapara SDPO Niranjan Padhi and Konark police station Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) also reached the spot to probe the case.
Though the exact reason behind the death is yet to be ascertained, it is being suspected that the woman might have been raped and then murdered.