BERHAMPUR: Mystery shrouds the death of a 23-year-old youth whose body was found lying by the roadside in Sweeper Colony of Paralakhemundi town in Gajapati district on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Santosh Kumar Bhukta, a resident of Rajguru Sahi in Paralakhemundi.
According to preliminary information, locals spotted Bhukta’s body lying along the road in the morning and raised an alarm. On being informed, police rushed to the spot for investigation. The body was seized for postmortem.
Bhukta’s family expressed suspicion over the circumstances surrounding his death. According to family members, the youth left home on Tuesday evening but did not return. They were informed about his death the next morning.
Family members alleged that Bhukta’s body appeared to have been dragged from one location to another before being dumped near a garbage heap along the road, raising strong suspicion of foul play. They demanded a thorough investigation to determine the actual cause of death and identify those responsible, if any.
Police said probe is underway from all possible angles. The exact cause of death will be known after the postmortem report arrives. Further investigation is on.