Cuttack: The District and Sessions Court in Odisha’s Cuttack has rejected the bail application of Bhimsen Prasad Tudu, the prime accused in the death of 28-year-old third-year MBBS student Chandrika Hembram.
The court cited the gravity of the allegations, the serious social implications of the case, the risk of evidence tampering, and the ongoing nature of the police investigation.
Tudu, a trainee officer in the Odisha Taxation and Accounts Service (OT&AS), was arrested on June 13 by Commissionerate Police after they gathered what they described as substantial evidence linking him to circumstances that allegedly drove Chandrika to suicide. He had earlier sought anticipatory bail from the Orissa High Court but was arrested before it could be heard.
Chandrika’s body was recovered from the sandbed of the Kathajodi River near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu under Barang police station limits in Cuttack on June 4. Police registered a case based on a complaint by her family, initially probing it as a case of abetment to suicide.
According to police, Chandrika and Tudu had been in a long-term relationship since their Plus-II days and had reportedly planned to marry in 2027. The relationship allegedly soured after Tudu cleared the OT&AS examination and developed ties with another woman. Police claim he began ignoring Chandrika, made disparaging remarks about her complexion and profession, and ended the relationship, subjecting her to prolonged mental harassment.
Digital footprints and technical evidence have emerged as core components of the investigation. Police revealed that the duo had stayed together at a hotel just two days prior to her death, and records show a flurry of repetitive, disturbing phone calls leading up to the tragedy.
While police have maintained it as abetment to suicide, Chandrika’s family, including her mother Hiramani Hembram, has rejected the suicide theory and alleged murder, pointing to harassment and a possible conspiracy involving Tudu and another woman.
On June 27, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi dismissed Tudu from the OT&AS cadre a few days ago. The state government also permanently debarred from holding any government job in future.
