JEYPORE: Mystery shrouds the death of a 21-year-old woman whose body was found hanging from a tree in a forest near Taliaguda village under Boipariguda police limits in Koraput district on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Jahna Harijan of Taliaguda. According to the complaint lodged by her father Senapati Harijan at Boipariguda police station, Jahna left home on Friday afternoon but did not return till late in the night. Family members initially assumed she might have gone to visit her ailing grandmother undergoing treatment at Boipariguda hospital.
However, on Saturday morning, villagers informed the family that Jahna’s body was hanging from a tree in Dumurijholi Nilagiri forest, around one km from the village. Suspecting foul play in her death, the woman’s father lodged a police complaint alleging murder.
Senapati stated that there were multiple injury marks on the body and blood stains at the scene. Besides, liquor bottles, glasses, and cigarettes were found near the spot, raising suspicion that unidentified miscreants might have murdered his daughter and later staged it as a suicide, he claimed.
Acting on the complaint, Boipariguda police along with a scientific team reached the spot. The body was seized and sent to Boipariguda community health centre for autopsy.
Boipariguda IIC Damburudhara Bagarti said police have registered a murder case on basis of the complaint of the deceased woman’s father. “We are waiting for the postmortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death,” he added.