Rakesh Swain, the prime accused in the death mystery of Rama Devi Women’s University student Jharaphula Nayak, murdered her, said a senior police official here on condition of anonymity on Saturday.

Rakesh, who was said to be boyfriend of Jharaphula, killed her at the guesthouse, where the duo had spent night together on January 26. The body was dumped near Kuakhia, 90 km away from Jajpur, to destroy evidence.

Rakesh confessed to the crime before police during interrogation in remand, the police source said.

Police have ample evidence against Rakesh and investigation is underway to collect vital evidence to make the case strong against him. The death mystery of Jharaphula would be cracked soon, the source said.

The source said Jharaphula and her beau Rakesh had checked in the private guesthouse at Dharma Vihar in Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar and stayed at Room No. 201 at night. They indulged in heated arguments, following which Rakesh killed Jharaphula, who is said to have died of asphyxiation.

While the clue was found in the Jharaphula autopsy report, Rakesh is also said to have admitted to choking her. Even, guesthouse staffs have reportedly revealed to police about the alleged scuffle between Jharaphula and Rakesh inside the room. However, they were unaware of the reason behind the confrontation, the source said.

Meanwhile, police have seized clothes and mobile phone of the deceased during investigation.

The source said Rakesh threw Jharaphula’s mobile phone a short distance from where the girl’s body was dumped near Kuakhia in Jajpur district. A local man later found the mobile phone. So, police could not reach the phone while they had taken Rakesh to the spot for a demo. The person, who had got the mobile phone, returned it to police and the police are now expecting to get a lot of information from it. Police also seized clothes worn by Jharaphula from the spot, where the scooter was allegedly hidden by Rakesh intentionally after using his vehicle to carry the body of Jharaphula from the guesthouse and dumping the body near Kuakhia on January 27.

The police source said Rakesh’s associate Shakti Sekhar alias Sekhar, who had driven the scooter carrying the body, is still absconding and police have laid a trap to nab him. He is said to be in touch with his relatives and friends in Sundarpada and the areas adjacent to it on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

The source said Rakesh and Sekhar had returned to Bhubaneswar after throwing the body of Jharaphula in Jajpur and visited Sundarpada. After dropping Sekhar there, Rakesh hid the scooter near an under-construction house, a few distance from his residence. Later, he had visited his aunt (father’s sister) on a motorcycle in Balianta. Disturbed by the incident, he skipped dinner during his stay at his relative’s house. His cousin asked him the reason behind it. Though Rakesh narrated entire incident to his cousin, he did not disclose the truth that he had murdered Jharaphula. Police reached his relative’s house by tracking his phone.

Recently, Rakesh’s two cousins have been grilled by the Kuakhia police in connection with the case.

Rakesh has been sent to judicial custody till February 12 after he was produced before the District Judge Court, Jajpur, following completion of a three-day remand on Friday.