The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken-report (ATR) from the Khordha district Superintendent of Police, over the suspicious murder of a woman in a Bhubaneswar hotel near the Mancheswar police station.
The order of the NHRC came pursuant to the petition and subsequent submissions by civil rights lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy. He pointed out that in the last week of August; Laxmipriya Biswal of Kaimatia in Jatni was brutally murdered at a hotel, barely a few metres from the Mancheswar PS.
Biswal had married a resident of Gada Khordha about 15 years ago and the couple has two children. However, they were living separately since 2012. Biswal was staying in a rented house under the Khandagiri PS.
Biswal came to the hotel along with a man identified as Aditya Mohapatra of Puri district and the duo claimed that they were husband and wife.
Biswal and Mohapatra had furnished their Aadhaar cards as identity proof to the hotel authorities and checked into a room.
The hotel staff asked Mohapatra to clear the bills at about 7 pm. He said that his wife was in the room and he was going to an ATM kiosk to withdraw money.
After some hours, the hotel staff attempted to call Mohapatra, but his mobile phone was switched off.
Then they went to the room and called Biswal. When she did not respond, they broke open the door of the room and found her lying on the ground.
On being informed, Mancheswar police rushed to the spot and seized the body. While the victim had sustained injuries on her face and head, police seized an iron rod and her mobile phone from the spot.
Tripathy requested the NHRC to investigate the case and direct the State to ensure arrest of the accused and payment of compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the victim.