Baripada/Karanjia: Police in Mayurbhanj district have cracked the murder of a Class VIII girl whose body was recovered from plastic sacks Saturday and arrested her former tuition teacher, who reportedly confessed to the crime.
The accused was identified as Trilochan Mahakud, a data entry operator at the Karanjia Block Education Office and a private tutor.
He was detained and later formally arrested after sustained interrogation, police said. In this regard, a murder case (111/26) has been registered at Karanjia police station March 20 under Sections 137(2) and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
During a press conference held Sunday, police said the investigation involved multiple teams, including a scientific team and a dog squad, and assistance from the Forest department, as the body was found near a bamboo grove in a secluded forested area.
Evidence collected from the scene and technical inputs, including data from a smartwatch and other digital clues, helped establish the sequence of events.
Several items have been seized as exhibits in the case, forming crucial evidence linking the accused to the crime.
Investigators revealed that Mahakud had earlier tutored the victim and had developed an obsession towards her.
The girl’s family had reportedly confronted and reprimanded him over his behaviour, which led to humiliation and resentment. Driven by revenge and frustration, the accused allegedly planned the crime.
He called the girl March 20, on the pretext of a discussion and took her on a scooter to a deserted location.
An argument broke out between the two, which escalated. In a fit of rage, he allegedly strangled the girl with his hands, rendering her unconscious, and then used a belt to kill her, police said.
To conceal the crime and destroy evidence, he reportedly packed the body in two plastic sacks, covering the head and legs separately, and dumped it near a bamboo thicket.
Following technical analysis, field investigation and interrogation, police zeroed in on Mahakud, who later confessed to the crime.
He is scheduled to be produced before a court Monday. Police said further investigation is underway.
Officials, including SDPO Naba Charan Naik and IIC Mrutyunjaya Pradhan, briefed the media on the case.
The accused is married and has two children, police said, describing the crime as a “fallout of one-sided obsession and revenge”.