Nayagarh: Three persons have been arrested after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found buried in a forest area in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, far away from her home in Nayagarh.
The body of the minor girl, a resident of Sorada village under the jurisdiction of Nuagaon police station in Nayagarh, was exhumed from Phiringia area in Kandhamal. Police said she was murdered and her body buried in a distant place to hide evidence.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Nayagarh Snehashis Sahoo said that police got credible information that the girl was murdered and subsequently her body was buried in the forest in Phiringia area of Kandhamal district.
Stating that police teams were formed to probe the case, he said three people were apprehended for their involvement in the killing. The three, who are relatives of the minor girl, led the police to the site, where the body was buried.
After being exhumed on Saturday, the body was disinterred in the presence of the executive magistrate from Kandhamal district.
A scientific team also visited the spot and carried out its preliminary enquiry. Subsequently the post-mortem was conducted and then the body was handed over to the family members, the SDPO said.
While the exact reason of the girl’s death is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that she was murdered over her relationship with a youth. The police believe that the body was buried in order to destroy evidence. Locals said it is suspected to be a case of honour killing.
The minor girl’s father is on the run and efforts are on to trace him.
Sources said the family members of the girl had locked up their house and were missing since Friday afternoon. When neighbours asked the girl’s father Biprabara Nayak about her whereabouts on Friday, he reportedly tried to avoid the topic. This made the neighbours suspicious who then informed the police. Police said Nayak is absconding after the incident.
A case has been registered under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Investigation is underway, police said.
