NAYAGARH : Mystery shrouds the death of a 32-year-old man whose body was found hanging from a cashew tree in a forest area under Itamati police limits in Nayagarh district on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Manas Behera, a resident of Kotiekahania village in Ranpur area of Nayagarh. His body was found in Bhalia Taila (Lunisahi) forest in the morning.
According to family members, Manas had travelled to Bhubaneswar on Thursday but did not return home by night. Concerned over his absence and the fact that his mobile phone was switched off, the family launched a search and subsequently lodged a missing person complaint at Ranpur police station.
On Friday morning, villagers who entered the forest to collect firewood noticed a body hanging from a tree. Upon receiving information, family members rushed to the spot and identified the deceased as Manas.
Later, police along with a scientific team arrived at the scene and initiated a probe into the incident. The body was sent to hospital for postmortem.
Family members alleged foul play and claimed Manas was abducted before being killed. His mother alleged that unidentified persons murdered her son and later hanged the body from a tree to make it appear as a case of suicide. She said the incident could be linked to previous enmity.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Sarankul, Dipti Kanta Pradhan, said there is a possibility the man may have been murdered. The cause of death is yet to be established. “All angles, including murder and abduction, are being examined. Action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation and postmortem report,” the SDPO said.
