JEYPORE: Boipariguda police in Koraput district on Tuesday arrested two brothers from Andrajodi village on charges of killing a man and burying his body in a forest.
The accused are Harischandra Bhumiya (30) and Bhima Bhumiya (25) of Andrajodi under Boipariguda police limits. The duo’s brother and another accused Samanath Bhumiya (23) is absconding. The trio reportedly killed Sambaru Pujari (45) of the same village on suspicion that he killed their father.
Police said body of the accused siblings’ father, Dhana Bhumiya (55), was recovered from near Dandabadi forest on August 4. Dhana’s family lodged a complaint, claiming he was killed by unidentified persons. After investigation, police arrested a woman, Moti Dalai (35) of Mathapadiaguda village, who confessed that she had killed Dhana and disposed of his body in the forest. She was arrested and produced in court on August 6.
However, Dhana’s sons suspected involvement of Sambaru, with whom their father had land disputes, to be involved in his murder. Seeking revenge, the sons plotted to kill him. In the night of August 29, Harischandra and Samanath went to Sambaru’s hut near his agricultural land on Dalkhai hill and killed him with an axe in his sleep.
They dragged his body and concealed it near a bush. Later, they informed their brother Bhima. On August 30, all three brothers returned to the site, moved the body to another location near a stream, and buried it under a stone.
Sambaru’s family reported him missing on August 31, stating he had not been seen since August 29. After investigation, police detained Harischandra and Bhima on Tuesday. During questioning, they confessed to killing Sambaru.
Police along with a magistrate and scientific team exhumed Pujari’s mutilated body after recreating the crime scene with the two brothers. Boipariguda IIC Damburudhara Batria said Harischandra and Bhima were arrested and produced in court. A manhunt has been launched to nab Samanath who is on the run. Further investigation is underway, he added.