The Nilgiri police unearthed the mysterious murder of a woman which came to light on January 11. The body of the victim was spotted in the Tinikoshia forest by some local villagers when they had gone to fetch woods.
The body could be identified later through belongings of the victim found near the spot -- a pair of shoes, a vanity bag and two phone numbers inside it written in a piece of paper, beside a saree. The body was only in petticoat and blouse. The police had pressed sniffer dog and scientific team into service for investigating the incident.
The deceased’s identity was established after her father Mayadhar Behera recognised the body. Behera, a native of Oupada, recognised the body as his eldest daughter Sumati Behera. He then informed police that Sumiti was staying with her brother-in-law (husband of the younger sister) for about four years. The deceased married earlier in Kalahandi district and had deserted her husband following a marital dispute.
Police arrested Manas Parida (35), the brother-in-law of the deceased, after probing the case. It was later discovered that the accused had an extra-marital relationship with the deceased. He was also forcing her in flesh trade. A dispute among the duo led to Sumiti’s murder. The police also got to know that Parida was a history sheeter as there were as many as 22 cases pending against him at various police stations across the State.
“Parida had brought the victim to Nilgiri from Bhubaneswar under some pretexts before strangulating her to death,” said Nilgiri SDPO SP Mallick, adding that a case was registered under various Sections of IPC against the accused.