PARADIP: The decomposed body of a man, employed as a driver at Paradip model police station on temporary basis, was found in a bush on JC Road in JB Colony, eleven days after he went missing.
Sources said 30-year-old Suresh Mandal, a resident of Jagannath Colony, had been working as a driver for a PCR van at the police station on a temporary basis for the last four months. On August 20, he completed his duty but did not return home. The following day, his family searched for him at his workplace, relatives’ and friends’ houses, but in vain. A missing person report was filed at Paradip model police station on August 22.
On Saturday afternoon, a few locals complained of foul smell emanating from a bush in an isolated area on JC Road in JB Colony. Upon investigation, the locals, including Mandal’s family, discovered his decomposed body at the spot. Mandal’s head had turned to skull and hair, eyes and other organs were missing from the body which was dressed in pant and a shirt. Mandal’s identity was confirmed from an ATM card found in his pocket. Mandal’s family alleged he was murdered and the body disposed of in the bush.
Sunil Mandal, the father of the deceased, alleged there was a dispute between his son and the manager and staff of a company. He said his son had been beaten and attacked by the staff earlier. Sunil has lodged an FIR at Paradip model police station.
Assistant superintendent of police, Paradip Santosh Kumar Jena, said, “The victim was working as a driver for a private vehicle used for patrolling within Paradip police limits. He was not our staff. A forensic team has been deployed to determine the cause of death. Based on the family’s allegations of murder, the police have started an investigation. The body has been seized and will be sent for postmortem on Sunday.”