BARIPADA: Mystery shrouds the death of an unidentified man whose decomposed body was found in an abandoned well near Teranti village within Raruan police limits in Mayurbhanj district on Thursday.
The deceased is believed to be around 45 years of age. His body was found stuffed in a gunny bag with his hands and legs tied with ropes.
Sources said a group of villagers grazing cattle in a nearby field were alerted after sensing foul smell emanating from the abandoned well. They reached the spot and found the gunny bag lying inside. They immediately informed Raruan police who rushed to the spot and retrieved the bag. On opening it, they found the man’s decomposed body inside.
Police said while the man’s limbs were tied, several injury marks were found on the body. Karanjia sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Naba Nayak and Raruan IIC Sumanta Sethy said prima facie, it appears to be a case of murder. A scientific team from Baripada town visited the spot to gather clues.
The body was seized and sent to Karanjia sub-divisional hospital for autopsy. “We contacted nearby police stations but there were no reports of any man going missing recently. Photos of the body have been shared with police stations across the region. Efforts are on to identify the deceased,” they said. The SDPO said the exact cause of the man’s death will be ascertained after the postmortem report arrives. Further investigation is underway.