Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has cracked a gruesome, two-and-a-half-year-old murder mystery in Udala following a breakthrough DNA match.
Three individuals, including a minor, have been arrested in connection with the crime.
The case dates back to November 18, 2023, when police recovered a heavily decomposed body from an abandoned well inside a cashew forest under Udala police limits in Mayurbhanj district. The victim had been brutally murdered, packed into two gunny bags, weighted down with heavy stones, and dumped into the well in a meticulous attempt to destroy all evidence.
Initially, local police were unable to establish the identity of the deceased, finding only a pair of slippers at the crime scene. Due to the complex nature of the crime, the case was transferred to the state Crime Branch three months later. Despite extensive efforts, the investigation hit a dead end for over two years.
The turning point came recently on June 17, when a man, Biswanath Singh from Sukhua Sahi village, arrived at the police station while searching for his missing father. Upon examining the evidence preserved by the police, Biswanath identified the slippers found at the crime scene as belonging to his father, Juburaj Singh.
Following this lead, the Crime Branch conducted a DNA profiling test, which conclusively matched and confirmed that the recovered body was indeed Juburaj Singh. “CID-CB conducted sustained field investigation supported by scientific and technical methods. List of all missing persons matching the profile of dead body was prepared and two missing persons were shortlisted. The blood samples of respective families were sent for DNA profiling. On June 29, the DNA profiling identified the deceased as Juburaj Singh by matching his DNA profile with that of his son, Biswanath Singh,” a police release said.
Investigation revealed that the deceased had been invited by villager of Banasahi (Dugudha) to perform an exorcism ritual, during which he attended a feast. He went missing thereafter, and his body inside a tied bag was found inside an abandoned well in a cashew jungle.
With the victim identified, the Crime Branch narrowed down the suspects and arrested three individuals, Sangauramohan Singh alias Bida Singh, Narahari Singh alias Bapi Singh and a minor who were arrested on July 2. The accused suspected Juburaj Singh of practising witchcraft, which they believed had caused the death of the child of Sangauramohan. The minor was produced before Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Baripada, on July 3.
Speaking on the arrest of the culprits, Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra stated: “Ordinarily, a chargesheet is filed within 90 days. However, in this case, identifying the victim and pinpointing the suspects took considerable time because the incident took place a long time ago. The accused had fled and were tracked down nearly 25 km away from the crime scene.”
DG Mishra added that the Crime Branch tracked down the suspects by analysing digital footprints, mobile networks, and coordinating local intelligence.
