Bhubaneswar, Jul 7: Three days after the death of Choudwar-Cuttack's Chauliaganj Police Station Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Beauty Mohanty, the exact cause of her death remains unclear, with investigators examining multiple angles. Police are now focusing closely on her financial transactions while awaiting crucial forensic findings that could help unravel the mystery.
According to senior Cuttack Police officials, one possible line of investigation is whether Mohanty had lent money to someone who failed to repay it or whether she had been financially cheated. Investigators are also waiting for the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) report from her mobile phones, which is expected to provide important digital evidence.
Call Detail Records (CDR) have revealed that Mohanty's last phone call was with her husband, Sameer Swain, a fact that he had earlier confirmed publicly.
On Monday, the investigating team questioned several people connected to Mohanty, including staff members of Chauliaganj Police Station and other personnel serving in the Cuttack Police Commissionerate. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said that the investigation is being carried out by a special team comprising an Additional DCP, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), and two senior inspectors, while he is personally supervising the probe.
Police are making intensive efforts to retrieve data from Mohanty's two mobile phones. A team visited the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Bhubaneswar on Monday to expedite the extraction of digital evidence. Investigators said they are facing minor technical difficulties in unlocking one of her iPhones.
Officials believe that if the last conversation between Mohanty and her husband was recorded or recoverable, it could provide valuable leads in the investigation. Meanwhile, police are scrutinising her financial dealings, including bank accounts and monetary transactions, to determine whether any financial dispute may have contributed to the incident.
Investigators suspect that someone may have borrowed money from Mohanty and failed to return it, or that she may have been subjected to financial demands related to a particular matter. However, police have not confirmed any specific motive and have stated that all possible angles remain under investigation.
Meanwhile, Mohanty's husband, Sameer Swain, has strongly objected to what he described as misleading and speculative reports circulating on social media and in sections of the media regarding his wife's death. He said he had spoken to several senior Cuttack Police officials over the issue and expressed concern that such reports were causing severe mental distress to him and his family. He appealed to media organisations and social media users to refrain from spreading unverified information.
Police are expecting the post-mortem report on Tuesday morning, which is likely to provide greater clarity on the cause and estimated time of Mohanty's death and help guide the ongoing investigation.
