SAMBALPUR: The death of a 15-year-old girl, whose body and scooter were recovered from Shanti Nagar under Ainthapali police limits earlier this week, has taken a turn after her maternal grandmother lodged a fresh FIR alleging murder over property dispute.
The victim, Sai Sraddha Mishra, a Class IX student, was found in the drain by locals in the wee hours of Thursday and was rushed to hospital, where she was declared brought dead. Based on the initial inquiry, police registered the case as an accident, suspecting she lost control of her two-wheeler while returning home at night. The body was sent for postmortem.
However, on Friday, the girl’s maternal grandmother Kamala Nanda filed a fresh complaint at Angul police station alleging that the accident was staged. She named Sai’s paternal aunt Snigdha Mishra, grandfather Ashok Mishra and grandmother Surekha Mishra, accusing them of conspiring to kill her to gain control over family property.
The family stated they chose to file the FIR in Angul, where Sai’s maternal grandparents live, as they feared for their safety if they approached authorities in Sambalpur.
The FIR also alleged that Sai faced physical and mental abuse following the deaths of both her parents, her father in a road accident in 2014 and her mother in 2017. According to the complainant, Sai was the sole heir to her father’s share of the property and would have legally inherited it upon turning 18.
Police have so far refrained from confirming any foul play. Ainthapali IIC PK Swain said a Zero FIR had been registered in Angul, but his station had not yet received the copy. “It is too early to conclude whether this is murder. We can confirm the nature of death only the postmortem report. Further probe is on,” he said.
Meanwhile, refuting the allegations, Sai’s aunt Snigdha Mishra said the family was devastated by her death.
“She was the centre of our world. With no other children in the house, we raised her with love. Anyone who sees her photos will know how well she was cared for,” she said, adding that the family trusts the police to uncover the truth.