Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police have arrested Bhimsen Prasad Tudu, an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer, in connection with the death of Chandrika Hembram, a 28-year-old third-year MBBS student at Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore.
Tudu was apprehended in Mayurbhanj district, where police sources said he had been hiding following the incident. A coordinated search operation led to his tracking and apprehension for further questioning. Just days prior, he had approached the Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Chandrika’s body was found floating in the Kathajodi river near the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu, under Barang police limits, on the morning of June 4. While initial investigation pointed to death by suicide with the postmortem report confirming drowning and asphyxiation, forensic analysis revealed no external injuries to suggest foul play.
However, Chandrika’s family strongly rejected the suicide theory. Her mother, Hiramani Hembram, and other relatives naccused Tudu of harassment and abetment, alleging that relationship issues, including Tudu’s alleged involvement with another woman, drove Chandrika to extreme distress. The duo was in a relationship since their school days and had planned to marry in 2027.
Suspecting a pre-planned murder, the family member demanded a thorough probe into electronic devices, chat history, and a personal diary belonging to Chandrika that is currently missing. They further claimed that she underwent cosmetic treatment in an effort to meet the expectations of her boyfriend, who allegedly remarked that she was not fair or attractive enough.
Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, police had registered a case against Tudu under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide. Amid verification of CCTV footage and analysis of call records, phone recordings and messages allegedly highlighted strain in the relationship in the days leading up to the tragedy.
