NABARANGPUR: Nabarangpur police on Friday claimed to have solved the Kosagumuda girl murder case by arresting two persons including a minor.
Earlier this week, police had revealed that the girl was murdered and not raped as claimed by her family members.
Informing media persons about the arrests of Khadi Bhatra of Pokhonaguda village and a minor boy from Gumundoli village, Nabarangpur SP Nitin Kusalkar said the girl was strangulated to death over one-sided love affair.
He said Bhatra was in love with the girl and had proposed her. He had confided his feelings for the girl with a friend, a minor, from the victim’s village. She, however, had refused his proposal. Few days back when Bhatra again proposed her, she slapped him. This angered Bhatra and he along with his minor friend plotted to kill her.
At around 8 pm on December 13, while her family members were celebrating the Diali festival, the girl had gone out of her house to attend nature’s call.
The two who were hiding nearby, abducted the girl and took her to an agricultural field nearby where they strangulated her using a ‘dupatta’ that she was wearing.
When she did not return till late at night, the girl’s parents started searching but failed to trace her. Next morning, some villagers while going to paddy fields found the girl’s body and informed her family and police.
Since two jeans trousers were found from the spot under Kosagumuda police station limits, family members alleged that she was raped and murdered.
“Postmortem report of the deceased did not reveal rape and the accused have confessed to the crime”, the SP said. Bhatra was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody while the minor was produced before Juvenile Justice Board.
On Monday, DIG (southern range) Satyabrata Bhoi along with a team of police officials visited the victim’s house and discussed the post-mortem report with the family of the deceased. The police informed the family that the girl was not gang-raped, but was murdered.
Family members of the girl and members of Christian Samaj of Kosagumuda dismissed the post-mortem report and threatened of hitting the streets on January 4. However, after arrest of the main accused the agitation was called off.