Puri, Oct 20: A 40-year-old man accused of murdering his mother and burying her body beneath the kitchen floor of their rented house in Odisha’s Puri district has been arrested in Jharkhand following a 57-day manhunt, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Madan Gajanan Dalei, was arrested in Jamshedpur, also known as Tatanagar, where he was reportedly working at a snack shop. According to Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Prateek Singh, investigators traced him through CCTV footage analysis, mobile phone tracking and other leads gathered during the investigation.
The accused was brought to Puri for further investigation. The SP said Madan admitted to the crime during questioning.
Foul Smell Leads to Discovery of Body
The case came to light on August 24 after Manorama Sahoo, the landlord of the rented property, alerted police about a foul smell coming from a locked room.
Following the complaint, a team from Kumbharapada police station inspected the premises and noticed that a section of the kitchen floor appeared to have been recently covered with cement. Police dug up the area and allegedly discovered the body of a woman buried underneath the floor.
The deceased was identified as Annapurna Dalei, the accused’s mother. Investigators suspect that the body had been concealed beneath a concrete covering to hide the crime.
According to police, the mother and son had been living in the rented accommodation for approximately five to six months. The landlord reportedly told investigators that the two maintained limited interaction with other residents.
CCTV Footage Provides Crucial Leads
During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the rented house and nearby areas. The footage reportedly showed the mother and son leaving the premises in the morning and returning late at night.
Investigators also found footage suggesting that the accused had purchased sand and cement on August 21, a development that provided an important lead in the case.
Based on the evidence gathered so far, police suspect that Annapurna died on August 20 and that her body was subsequently buried in the kitchen. The exact circumstances and cause of her death remain under investigation.
Phone Tracking Leads Police to Jharkhand
As the investigation progressed, police analysed the accused’s mobile phone records and traced his links to Parlakhemundi in Gajapati district, his native area.
A police team visited the district and questioned his brother to gather information about the family. Investigators also learnt that Madan had a sister living in Kolkata.
According to the SP, police contacted the sister and found that Madan had called her claiming that their mother was unwell. He had allegedly not informed her that their mother had died.
Further analysis of phone records pointed investigators towards Jamshedpur. However, the accused had reportedly left the location by the time a police team arrived.
Search Spanned Multiple States
Police subsequently expanded the search to several locations, including parts of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Rewards were also announced at different places to encourage people to share information about the accused’s whereabouts.
Investigators reportedly faced difficulties tracing his movements because he had left limited digital evidence.
A breakthrough came recently when police received information that Madan had returned to Jamshedpur and was working at a snack shop. Acting on the tip-off, a team from Kumbharapada police station reached the location and arrested him.
The accused is now in police custody for further investigation. Police are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Annapurna’s death and the alleged concealment of her body.