BERHAMPUR: A 55-year-old man of Ganjam who went missing three days back, was found dead with multiple injury marks on his body in a forest near Kadamuli village within R Udayagiri police limits in Gajapati district on Saturday night.
The deceased was identified as Siba Nayak of Sankarkholi village within Digapahandi police limits in Ganjam. Police suspect that Siba was murdered over money dispute.
IIC of R Udayagiri police station Aswini Bhitria said Siba had gone to Kadamuli village on Wednesday for some work and was supposed to return to Sankarkholi the same day. However, when he did not come back home, his family members became worried and launched a search for him. During search, they came to know that Siba was whisked away by a group of unidentified men from Kadamuli when he was preparing to return to his village.
Family members continued their search on Thursday and Friday but could not trace him. Eventually, they lodged a complaint with R Udayagiri police on Saturday. They suspected that Siba may have been murdered though they could not give any specific reason.
The IIC said basing on the complaint, police registered a missing person case and started investigation. In the night, Siba’s injury-ridden body was recovered from the forest and sent to Paralakhemundi hospital for autopsy. Since the body bore multiple injuries, police converted the missing case into a murder investigation.
Bhitria said two suspects have been detained in connection with the incident and are being interrogated. “It is suspected that Siba was murdered due to a dispute over money. The exact cause of his death can be ascertained after the autopsy report arrives. Further investigation is underway,” he added.