Cuttack: Giving momentum to the Investigation into the death of MBBS student Chandrika Hembram, Odisha Police have collected crucial digital evidence, including WhatsApp chats and audio conversations.
Confirming this, Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rishikesh Dnyandeo Khilari on Tuesday said that the recovery of important digital data from Chandrika’s house at Udala in Mayurbhanj district will act as key evidence in the sensational case.
Police sources said that a three-member team from Baranga Police Station visited Chandrika’s home and questioned her mother, brother, and relatives as part of the probe. The investigators also recorded statements from individuals who had spoken to Chandrika over the phone before her death.
The probe team believes these testimonies may help establish the timeline and mental state of the deceased.
It may be noted that the body of the 29-year-old MBBS student of Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore was recovered from the Kathajodi river bed near Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose Setu under Barang police station limits in Cuttack on June 4.
The DCP said the Barang police had registered a case on June 4, following which multiple teams were formed, including the Investigating Officer (IO), to carry out a detailed probe. One team was also sent to Udala in Mayurbhanj district as part of the investigation.
According to the police, a detailed examination of digital communications between the victim and the accused is underway, including WhatsApp chats and voice call records from the days leading up to the incident. The seized chats are being analysed as part of the investigation.
“The chats indicate that the victim was under mental pressure and had mentioned taking extreme steps due to the accused’s behaviour,” the DCP said, adding that conversations involving the accused’s mother have also provided important leads.
Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police on June 13 arrested OAS trainee Bhimsen Tudu for allegedly abetting the suicide of Chandrika.
The accused was arrested after an intensive investigation and a multi-state search operation. Police said he had initially fled to Jharkhand after a case was registered but was later apprehended from his native place.
The victim’s family has alleged foul play and initially claimed it was a murder. However, police have registered a case of abetment of suicide and said further investigation is underway.
Chandrika’s mother, Hiramani Hembram, has alleged that her daughter was subjected to harassment and emotional distress due to relationship issues, including the accused’s alleged involvement with another woman, which she claimed pushed the victim into severe psychological distress.