Harbhanga: A police constable was bludgeoned to death by a co-villager at Jajpur village under Purunakatak police limits in Boudh district, police officials said Saturday.
The accused, identified as Sanjaya Nayak, has been arrested, they added. The deceased was identified as Uday Ranjan Pattnaik, 54, a native of Jajpur, Balisahi, under Purunakatak police limits.
Posted as a constable at Baliguda police station in Kandhamal district, he had returned to the village a few days ago.
The matter came to the fore after foul smell emanated from a garbage pit behind Uday’s house. Villagers spotted the decomposed remains and informed the police.
Police reached the spot and recovered the body from the pit. Police officials said he was allegedly beaten to death with a grinding stone.
According to police, Pattnaik had been regularly meeting Sanjaya during his stay in the village.
An argument reportedly broke out between them over an undisclosed reason. In a fit of rage, Nayak allegedly fatally struck Pattnaik with a grinding stone, and later buried the body in a low-lying pit behind his house.
Police said the murder likely occurred four days earlier.
A scientific team and a dog squad were called to the crime scene for investigation.
Police registered a murder case (194/25) at Purunakatak police station and arrested Sanjaya Nayak.
Purunakatak police station IIC Arun Kumar Singh confirmed the arrest and said the investigation is underway.
