Bhubaneswar: Half-charred body of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of police was found lying on National Highway-26 near Banamalipur under Junagarh police limits in Odisha’s Kalahandi district late on Saturday.
The deceased has been identified as ASI Pabitra Golapi, a native of Koraput district. He was posted at Kegaon police station, later suspended and shifted to Bhawanipatna Reserve Police office.
According to sources, locals spotted smoke and later found charred remains of a motorcycle and partially burnt body on the roadside. They immediately informed police, who rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.
The circumstances surrounding the death, however, remain unclear. “We are probing the case from all angles. The burns, their location, and the state of the body and vehicle are being thoroughly examined,” a senior police official involved in the investigation stated.
Earlier on Saturday, a 48-year-old forester, Sisir Sahu, was found dead with severe burn injuries at his home in Nayagarh town.
According to SDPO Jyoti Ranjan Samantray, preliminary evidence points to homicide and his wife and son are the primary suspects. It is being alleged that they attempted to stage a premeditated murder over his alleged extramarital affair as a fire accident. The son claimed his mother poured petrol on Sahu during an argument and ignited it, with evidence suggesting Sahu ran through the house as more petrol was used to ensure his death. Fire marks were found throughout the house, from the living room to the kitchen and bedrooms.
Police, however, doubt the son’s account that only the mother was involved in the incident.
Sources indicated that Sahu rarely stayed at the Nayagarh home and often slept in his car during visits.
