Mystery still shrouds the death of Jharaphula;Police seals hotel suite, examines dustbin

Bhubaneswar, Jan 30 : The suspicious death of Ramadevi University’s student  Jharaphula Nayak has been a bit challenging for Odisha Police. Kuakhia police has traced two alleged youths who were seen in CCTV footage carrying Jharaphula on a scooty. On the basis of CCTV footage, Air field police detained Jharaphula’s boy-friend Rakesh Swain from Sundarpada area. During joint interrogation, Rakesh confessed that he had spent the whole night of January 25 with Jharaphula in Shivsai guest house located near Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar. " Everything went normal till late night. But next day morning I found Jharaphula in unconscious state. That is why, I rushed her to a hospital for a first aid with help of a friend. Accordingly, we left for a hospital with Jharaphula seated on the middle of the scooty. Meanwhile, Jharaphula went critical and we decided to admit her in SCB Medical College. But on the way to the hospital Jharaphula passed away", Rakesh was said to have told the interrogating team. Out of panic, Rakesh and his friend decided to dispose Jharaphula’s body safely leaving no clue.Finding no suitable dumping space nearby, they rushed away towards Jajpur along National Highway-16.Ultimately they dumped the body near Mulapal-Rajendrapur passage. A special police team has recorded the statement of Rakesh.     On the other hand, the circumstantial evidences added new suspense to the mystery. The CCTV footage recorded near Vani Vihar reveals that Jharaphula was physically ill. She was seen vomiting near a fast food counter while she was having biryani with Rakesh. Even she leaned against Rakesh before getting into the scooty. However, Chakradhar Behera,father of Jharaphula’s close friend, told something different. Jharaphula was almost healthy, he said, when she joined his daughter’s birthday party on January  24 .On the very next day, Chakradhar dropped Jharaphula at Jayadev Vihar and she boarded a private bus named Jhadeswar that runs to Jharaphula’s native village Buleipasi in Mayur bhanj. Jharaphul was physically well at that time, said Chakradhar. On the contrary,Jharaphula’s father Ramakanta Nayak informed the police that, he had talked to Jharaphula finally on January 25 evening. Jharaphula seemed normal from the call. As Jharapula's father reported police that his daughter had informed about her illness in the day time. She reported that she got down from Jhadeswar bus after experiencing cramp in the belly. In the evening, she dropped a message saying she is at her friend Sonali’s house. All these divergent statements have compounded the mystery. Why did Jharaphula get down from the bus shortly after boarding? Is it for medical reason ? Or she misled her family to meet her boy friend? If she was really ill, why did she make up her mind to travel to her village in adverse health condition? Meanwhile, Jharaphula’s brother identified the accused Rakesh from the CCTV footage shown by the Kuakhia police. This clearly indicates that he knew Rakesh pretty well before his sister’s love affair. Police is working on from different possible angles. Whether Rakesh had promised to marry Jharaphoola ? Did he keep physical relation with her? Whether on the very night of January 25, Rakesh got physical relation forcefully, without Jharaphool’s consent? Police investigation revealed that Rakesh is addicted to intoxicants. He always remains in a drunken state. In this situation there is every possibility of overpowering Jharaphula.  Rakesh might have intoxicated her for having physical relation forcibly. The foamy extract from her mouth and nose suggest something so. Police is digging out all these aspects minutely. A joint team of Kuakhia and Bhubaneswar police along with the state forensic team is now working on to crack the mystery. The team has sealed the hotel suite and seized the dust bin in search of any objectionable material.