On a tip-off on Sunday last from a local scribe, Rayagada SP Dr Saravana Vivek M with his team of police officers, scientific team and sniffer dog reached Nua Sahi forests and traced a skeleton wearing a military uniform near a foothill.
A bag containing some civil clothes, a cell phone, a cheque book, a wallet and an Aadhaar card, etc was also recovered from the spot.
From the Aadhaar card, the body was identified as Dharam Dev from Uttar Pradesh. Dharam was serving as a Havildar in CRPF’s 4th Battalion. The Second-in-Command of the battalion SK Thakur confirmed the authenticity of the belongings. The body was completely decomposed.
Dharam was stationed at Seiskhal police station. On December 29 he took a bus from Seiskhal to Rayagada to come to the CRPF camp.
On Monday, SP Dr Sarvana during a Press meet informed that the skeleton and other seizure items were handed over to the deceased’s kin.