A body of a tribal girl aged around 19 years was spotted on Monday morning by locals while it was hanging from a neem tree under mysterious circumstances in a forest near Nua Ghasarda village under the Boipariguda police limits in Koraput district.
The girl’s elder brother alleged that she was murdered and then hanged.
The deceased was identified as Gauri Majhi from the village. She had lost her parents in her childhood days and is survived by a sister and a brother belonging to a poor family.
The girl was working as a domestic help at the house of Jeypore police station IIC Mitrabhanu Mohanty for the last one year to support her family.
On Saturday, Gauri left Mohanty’s house without informing anyone. Her mobile phone showed ‘switched off’ when Mohanty contacted her. Later, Mohanty contacted her family and was informed that she had not gone to her parents’ house.
Mohanty and the girl’s family searched for her at all probable locations and at last lodged an FIR with the Jeypore police, mentioning the girl to be missing.
“This is a case of murder and she was hanged after being killed. She was in love with a youth from Salapa village and was often talking with him over phone. Another youth from Ratakhandi village near Kunturukhala had been frequently disturbing her and us,” her brother said.
The Boipariguda police along with a scientific team reached the spot and initiated a probe into the death. Police seized the body and sent it for postmortem.
