Sundargarh police have successfully arrested 11 individuals for their involvement in the murder of 24-year-old Chandan Dharua, whose body was discovered in Bijadihi forest in Dharuadihi three weeks ago. The victim’s body was found on January 20, sparking a major investigation by local authorities.
Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwakar confirmed that the case initially appeared to be a blind case, as the identity of the deceased was unknown at the time of recovery. However, after an extensive investigation, the police managed to identify Chandan Dharua and cracked the murder mystery, leading to the arrest of the 11 accused.
According to the police, six of the accused played an active role in the murder, while the others were either involved in the conspiracy or assisted in the crime. The case was cracked with the help of CCTV footage from cameras along the road leading to the forest and forensic investigation.
Dharua, who worked for a tent house in Sambalpur, had a quarrel with some of his coworkers, who were also from his village and neighborhood. After the altercation, the accused allegedly conspired to kill Dharua.
On January 18, the accused managed to convince Dharua to accompany them to a rural fair at Gobindpur village in Sambalpur’s Bamra. Once there, they made him drink alcohol before taking him to Bijadihi forest, where they stabbed him multiple times.
Seven knives used in the murder were recovered from the accused, including Bibek Kuanr, Arun Naik, Prakash Behera, Saroj Naik, Chandan Kuanr, Harekrishna Patra, Sumanta Kuanr, and others. All the arrested individuals have been presented in court and remanded to judicial custody.
The successful resolution of the case has been praised by the police, with SP Diwakar noting that the combined efforts of forensic analysis and surveillance footage played a crucial role in bringing the culprits to justice.
