Not safe even after death! The mysterious case of missing dead bodies in Odisha

A bizarre and unsettling mystery has gripped a village in Bhadrak district of Odisha, where the bodies of deceased villagers have been disappearing from a burial ground under baffling circumstances.

According to residents of Maninathpur village, more than 30 bodies have vanished from the riverside cremation ground over the past several years. In the latest incident, five bodies reportedly went missing in a single night, spreading shock and anger among locals.

Villagers allege that bodies, buried after traditional funeral rites on the banks of the Baitarani river, simply disappear after being laid to rest for a few weeks to a few months. One resident said his father’s body, buried in January, could not be found when he visited the site just weeks later.

The mystery prompted a formal complaint by a villager whose father’s body vanished, after which police, accompanied by a scientific team and a dog squad, inspected the burial ground. However, so far there have been no conclusive findings from the investigation.

Why Do Such Cases Happen?

At present, authorities have not confirmed any motive or culprits. But villagers and observers have floated several theories, including:

Occult or Ritual Practices: Some locals suspect that grave tampering could be linked to black magic or other ritualistic motives, given the rural setting and reported strange sightings.

Illegal Body Trade: There is fear among communities about organised rackets that might be stealing bodies for unlawful purposes such as organ trafficking or use in unregulated medical experiments.

Wild Animals or Natural Causes: In some regions, scavengers or animals can disturb shallow graves, though this usually does not fully remove a body.

Grave Robbing or Tampering: In rare criminal cases elsewhere, bodies have been exhumed for burial fraud or disposal in other locations.

What Happens to Missing Bodies?

Without concrete investigation results, the fate of the missing bodies remains unclear. Possibilities include:

* Removal for ritual or occult purposes.
* Transportation to unknown locations for illegal use.
* Disturbance by animals if burial sites are shallow.
* Tampering by individuals with unknown motives.

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At this stage, all such explanations remain speculative, none have been proven by police or forensic evidence.

Police in Bhadrak have launched an official probe into the disappearances. Local authorities, including the Superintendent of Police, are trying to analyse the ground and gather evidence to uncover the truth behind this haunting mystery.