Police in Sundargarh district on Monday sent blood samples collected from the house of a 36-year-old man, arrested for allegedly raping and murdering his mentally-challenged aunt, for forensic examination to establish its origin.
Accused Remanded to Judicial Custody
The accused was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Sunday. Investigators said the samples recovered from his house will be matched with those of the victim's family members and sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), Bhubaneswar, for confirmation.
Victim's Body Cremated Initially
The 45-year-old victim, who used to stay with her brother's family and frequently wandered around the village, was found lying near her house on Saturday morning. Assuming it to be a natural death, family members cremated the body the same afternoon.
Suspicion Arose During Post-Cremation Rituals
Suspicion arose later when a relative noticed the accused, her nephew, was missing during post-cremation rituals. When family members went to his house to call him, they found bloodstains inside the room. They subsequently alerted police on Saturday evening.
Accused Confessed to Crime
Police launched a search and detained the suspect the same night following a complaint lodged by a relative of the deceased at Kutra police station. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to the crime. Police said he told investigators that the victim had come to his house on Friday night, when he allegedly raped her. He further claimed she died during the assault. He then allegedly dumped the body near her residence late that night.
Forensic Analysis Underway
A scientific team examined the accused's house and collected blood samples from the spot. Police said the samples have been preserved and will be sent for forensic analysis to confirm whether they belong to the victim.
“The accused is in judicial custody. Blood samples collected from his house have been preserved and will be sent to SFSL after comparison samples are taken from the victim's family to establish linkage,” said S Biswal, sub-inspector at Kutra police station.
