Umarkot: The naked and mutilated body of a woman was found in a reserved forest beside a canal in Nabarangpur district Friday, with police suspecting that she was murdered. The body was discovered near Chikalpadar in Umarkot block. The woman is believed to be more than 55 years old. The condition of the body has strengthened suspicions of foul play and caused alarm in the area. Villagers who went towards the canal in the morning saw the body in the forest and alerted police, officials said. The Umarkot police station Officer-In-Charge (OIC) and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) reached the site and inspected it. A forensic team and a sniffer dog were later brought from Nabarangpur to assist the investigation. Police found the woman’s footwear and some clothing scattered around the spot.
Police identified her as Balbinder Kaur, a member of the Punjabi community. She had lived alone for many years in a dilapidated house on the main road at Kandagaon Road, in Ward 8 of the Umarkot municipal area. Her husband died several years ago and she had no children. She earned a living by weaving plastic cord for chairs and sofa sets. Nabarangpur Superintendent of Police, Kashyap Parth Jagdish, visited Umarkot, reviewed the investigation and inspected the woman’s house and a health centre. After a post-mortem, the body was handed over to distant relatives and neighbours, who performed the last rites. It remains unclear who killed the woman, why, and in what circumstances, or whether there was another cause of death. Police said they suspect rape or murder, and that the facts will become clear only after the investigation and the post-mortem. A case (81/26) has been registered at Umarkot police station. Sub-inspector Bikram Sahu is investigating, police station officer-in-charge Jugal Sabar said.
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