BERHAMPUR: A 35-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was found murdered with signs of violent attack near Phulajaba in Kashipur block of Rayagada district on Sunday.
Police identified the deceased as Balaram Khara of Bandhugaon Garidi. Balaram’s injury-ridden body with his throat slit was found at the roadside near Phulajaba.
Sources said at around 8 pm on Sunday, Balaram took some passengers to drop them off at Singaram railway station. When he did not return home till late in the night and his mobile phone went unanswered, family members launched a frantic search but could not trace him.
On Sunday morning, Balaram’s wife Bipasha Pani lodged a missing complaint with Tikiri police. Soon after, police were informed about the recovery of a man’s body. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Rayagada Rashmi Ranjan Senapati and Kashipur IIC Surya Prakash Nayak immediately reached the spot.
The SDPO said Balaram’s family members identified the body. “Initially, we thought the death was due to an accident. But the injury marks on the body suggested it to be a case of murder,” he said.
Locals said after dropping off the passengers, Balaram left the railway station in his three-wheeler. He might have been murdered while returning home as his auto-rickshaw was parked on the road near his body, they said.
Later in the day, locals did not allow police to take Balaram’s body for postmortem and demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved family. After much persuasion, the locals relented and the body was sent for autopsy at around 4 pm, said Senapati.
Locals suspected that Balaram was murdered due to property dispute. Balaram has landed property in their village but has been staying with his wife and two kids at RR Colony near Dangasil within Tikiri police limits for the last few years.
The SDPO said police have registered a murder case and investigation is underway from all angles.