Palamu police close to cracking case of woman’s murder after Durga Puja visit
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, October 22: Palamu police are reportedly close to cracking the case of a 35-year-old married woman who…
Residents block NH-139 in Palamu on Wednesday, demanding action after the body of a woman who went missing while returning from a Durga Puja pandal was found in a paddy field near her home.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, October 22: Palamu police are reportedly close to cracking the case of a 35-year-old married woman who was allegedly waylaid, robbed of her ornaments and murdered while returning home from a Durga Puja pandal in Basna village under Nawa Bazar police station limits on Tuesday night, October 20.
The deceased, identified as Gita Devi, was the wife of a village carpenter and belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, police said.
Woman’s Body Found in Paddy Field
Nawa Bazar police station officer-in-charge Sanjay Yadav said Gita Devi had visited the Durga Puja pandal in her village on Tuesday night. The pandal was barely 200 metres from her home.
According to police, she was allegedly intercepted and overpowered while returning home. Her earrings and necklace were reportedly stolen.
Her body was found abandoned in a paddy field about 150 metres from her house late Wednesday afternoon, following an extensive search by the police.
Family members had told the police that she was wearing ornaments when she left for the pandal. The ornaments were missing when her body was recovered, Yadav said.
NH-139 Blocked in Protest
Angry residents blocked National Highway 139 for about an hour on Wednesday morning, demanding that the woman be traced and the perpetrator arrested.
Police subsequently intensified the investigation and said they had obtained important clues pointing towards a suspect who had allegedly been following the woman for some time.
Yadav said the suspect had been identified, while Bishrampur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Chiranjeev Mandal said raids were being conducted at possible hideouts to apprehend him.
Mandal expressed confidence that the accused would be arrested soon.
Post-Mortem Report to Establish Further Details
Police sources said the post-mortem report would help establish whether the woman had been sexually assaulted before her death.
Investigators are also trying to determine the motive behind the crime, including whether the attack was primarily intended to rob her of her jewellery or involved a sexual offence.
Sources said the woman was suspected to have been strangled in the paddy field. The precise circumstances and motive remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
