Odisha: VSSUT Graduate Death Due To Drowning, Says Diatom Report

Sambalpur: In a new development in VSSUT graduate Chinmayee Sahoo’s death case, police on Saturday said the diatom test reports confirmed that she died due to drowning.

The post-mortem report had also earlier confirmed that Chinmayee died due to drowning.

However, the viscera of Chinmayee has also been sent to forensic laboratory to ascertain the exact cause of the death and the report is still awaited.

Sambalpur Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar told the media that the diatom test report stated that Chinmayee died in the dam due to drowning.

Diatom test confirms whether death has taken place due to drowning or a body is thrown into a water body after murder, he said, adding that the report showed that she died due to drowning.

It may be noted that the diatom test is based on the principle that diatoms can be detected in the organs of drowned victims if they aspirated diatom-rich water into the lung before death.

Stating that the police are waiting for the viscera report which will throw light on the exact cause of the death, he said no decision has so far been taken on conducting narco-analysis test Chinmayee’s two friends. The viscera report will show if any poisonous substance was present in the deceased’s body, Gangadhar said.

At the same time investigation is in progress to ascertain whether Chinmayee died by suicide or there was any abatement to take the extreme step or if she was pushed by someone into the dam, the SP said.

The SP further said that thorough scrutiny and examination of Chinmayee’s diary, notes, laptop and phone did not show any indication of any threat or fear from someone. There is nothing to show that she had any fight with others. She has nowhere expressed any apprehension from any quarter, the SP said.

Sexual assault had also been ruled out during examination by doctors, he said.

Chinmayee had gone missing after attending the convocation of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) at Burla and her body was found floating in the power channel of Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur the following morning. The police had sent the body for the post-mortem.

Following a complaint filed by Chinmayee’s parents alleging that her two male friends, Pritiman Dey and Manas Tudu were involved in the death of their daughter, the police had sent them to Bhubaneswar for the lie detection test at the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL).