Cops have begun investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a college student here. Body of the girl was found under mysterious circumstance near a culvert, about 30 km from Baripada, on Monday.
Bangiriposi police said given the condition of the body, the 21-year-old girl might have died a couple of days back. Prima-facie it is suspected that the girl was killed after being raped and then dumped at the isolated place.
The victim, a native of Bijaykrushna Chandrapur village under Chandua police limits, had left her home on June 7 saying she would attend her friend’s birth day and then go to Baripada to purchase study materials before returning home in the evening. Since then, she was missing till her body was spotted in decomposed state near a culvert along Baripada-Bhuasuni road by the locals. Police rushed to the spot and seized an apron, which was suspected to be used to strangulate her, a vanity bag, admit card and some certificates. She was a second year student of Plus Three Arts in Shrima Mahila Mahavidyalaya.
Sources said as her body has been decomposed, it was difficult to conduct an autopsy at the Baripada headquarters hospital. The body was sent to SCB Medical at Cuttack for forensic test.
Bangiriposi IIC Dilip Kumar Sahu said the girl had died two days back. Though police could not draw a conclusion whether she was raped before being murdered, circumstantial evidences indicated that she was raped. As injury marks were spotted on her private parts, police suspect she might have been gangraped. “We are monitoring movement of four youths and suspect their involvement in the crime. We are also verifying the love affair angle. The culprits will be arrested soon,” the police officer added.
Meanwhile, the activists of several political outfits have demanded the district administration to provide Rs 10 lakh as ex gratia to the deceased family.