BARIPADA: A 23-year-old tribal youth was brutally bludgeoned to death in Khunta area of Mayurbhanj district, police said on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Ganesh Hembram of Khaprapal village. Ganesh’s body, with his head and face smashed, was found lying in a pool of blood by the roadside near Badakhunta village in the morning.
The youth’s family members said Ganesh left home on his motorcycle to go to Khunta weekly market on Thursday afternoon. However, he did not return home in the night. Worried, they searched the local market and also asked their relatives about his whereabouts. But Ganesh could not be traced. The next morning, some locals spotted his mutilated body and informed his family members.
Police said it is believed that Ganesh was stoned to death on Thursday night as a blood-stained brick was recovered from near his body. The youth’s head was crushed and his face smashed. A bike key was found near his body. However, the youth’s two-wheeler was missing.
On being informed by locals, Khunta police rushed to the spot for investigation. A scientific team from Baripada also reached the crime scene to gather evidence. The body was sent to Udala sub-divisional hospital for postmortem. The blood-stained brick and the bike key were seized.
On the day, the deceased’s brother Suraj Hembram lodged a complaint in Khunta police station, based on which a murder case was registered. Khunta IIC Panchanan Mohanty said police have questioned some friends of the deceased friends and a few locals youths in connection with the incident. Investigation is on to determine the circumstances leading to the youth’s murder.
“Police are awaiting the autopsy report to ascertain the exact cause of death. Efforts are underway to identify and nab the culprits involved in the murder case,” the IIC added.