Kandhamal, June 30: In a shocking incident, a human skeleton and skull, suspected to be of a missing minor girl from Bhanjanagar area of Ganjam district, were recovered from the dense Gasmā forest under Chakapad police limits in Odisha’s Kandhamal district.
As per reports, some locals spotted the skeletal remains scattered in the forest and immediately informed the Chakapad police. Upon arrival, the police found a partially decomposed skeleton, a skull, and fragments of women's clothing.
Thereafter, the remains were carefully collected and sent to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur for forensic analysis, including an autopsy and DNA testing.
After the recovery, the police reached out to nearby districts to check for any reports of missing persons. During the course of investigation, it was discovered that a teenage girl had gone missing from Bhalugada village under Bhanjanagar police limits in Ganjam district a few days back.
It is worth noting that the minor girl’s father Jagannath Mallick, who works in another district, came home on Saturday and discovered that his daughter was missing. When he asked the family, they told him that she had left a few days ago and hadn't come back.
Worried about her whereabouts, Jagannath immediately lodged a missing complaint at Bhanjanagar Police Station. The next day, the family heard got to know that skeletal remains had been found in Kandhamal.
The police called Jagannath and took him to the location where the remains were found. There, he recognized the clothes near the remains as belonging to his missing daughter.
Although the final confirmation is still waiting for a DNA test, Jagannath is sure that the remains are his daughter’s. He alleged that his daughter has been killed and demanded the accused to be brought to justice.
Prima facie suggests that the girl might have been murdered and her body left in a remote forest area. However, the exact cause and time of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem and forensic reports are ready.
Investigation is underway and teams have been formed to probe all possible angles, including abduction and planned murder, confirmed Bhanjanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sujit Nayak.
