Dalit youth's skeletal remains found in sack, 9 days after he went missing

Kendrapada: Human remains, believed to be of 23-year-old dalit youth Gouranga Sethi, who had been missing since May 27, were recovered from a sack lying amid bushes on the outskirts of Petapada village under Aul police station in Kendrapada district on Friday.

According to an FIR lodged in the police station by his father Arun Sethi on May 29, Gouranga, a resident of Mahadeipatana village, was allegedly abducted and killed by six villagers on May 27.

Acting on the complaint, police launched an investigation, and on Thursday, they arrested one Pratap Mahakuda of Mahadeipatana village. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed that he, along with others, killed Gouranga, and subsequently dumped his body in the bushes after packing it in a sack. The police then scouted the area and found the skeleton, with a torn shirt and trousers, packed in a sack. A shoe was also found nearby. Only skeletal remains were found as the flesh was completely consumed by jackals, dogs and other wild animals in the last nine days. The family members identified the skeleton through the clothes and shoe.

Kendrapada superintendent of police (SP) Siddharth Kataria said a forensic team examined the area thoroughly, while sniffer dogs were also pressed into service. “An investigation is on. The skeletal remains will be sent to faecal microbiota transplant laboratory of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack,” said the SP.

He added as per the preliminary investigation, the deceased allegedly damaged the glasses of the four-wheelers of some villagers last month, for which they hatched a plan to kill him. “On May 27, the six accused brutally assaulted him with iron rods and bamboo sticks, as a result, he died. Other accused fled from the village after killing Gouranga. We have formed a team to arrest all the accused. We are keeping all angles open for now as the recovery of the human remains and missing person’s case appear suspicious. Police have registered a case under sections 103 (murder) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of BNS against all the accused in connection with the recovery of the skeleton, and are questioning a few suspects linked to the man’s mysterious disappearance,” said the senior police officer.

The officers will also collect DNA samples of the family members of the deceased to ascertain the identity of the skeleton.

Meanwhile, senior police officers have been camping at the spot since Friday morning.

Meanwhile, dalit activist and Congress functionary Sipra Mallick and others demanded stern action against all the accused.