Baleshwar: Tension gripped Jaleswar in Odisha’s Baleshwar on Thursday after a highly decomposed and burnt body of a girl, who had been missing for past seven days, was recovered in a forest area near Dherapada village under Bartana gram panchayat.
Family members identified her remains, which was found about 5 km away from her home, by her clothes, including a red cloth tied around her neck and slippers left nearby.
The girl was reported missing when she failed to return home from the nearby Paschimabada market on October 16. “A neighbour had taken her out for an evening snack. When we contacted him, he claimed that he had sold her off. Following which we handed him over to the police. However, he initially denied any knowledge about her whereabouts. He was questioned almost every day. Finally, her body was recovered after 6-7 days,” said a relative.
He alleged that she was targeted in a pre-planned attack, gang-raped, and murdered, with the perpetrators attempting to destroy evidence by burning the body using flammable materials or chemicals.
Police have since secured the scene for forensic inspection and arrested the prime suspect, identified as Chandrakanta Jena, who reportedly later confessed to the murder during questioning.
