A young woman was found hanging from a tree on Sunday near the roadside along national highway (NH-53) in Odisha’s Angul district, triggering suspicion of murder. The incident was reported near a check gate under Rengali police limits in Kaniha block.

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The deceased was identified as Rojalin Majhi of Barun Sahi under Majhi Nuapada village in Deogarh district’s Kundheigola police limits. The shocking discovery created panic among locals after her body was spotted hanging beside the road in the morning.

According to sources, Rojalin had travelled from Deogarh to Rengali on Saturday evening along with a male friend. However, the next morning, her body was found hanging from a tree under suspicious circumstances near the highway.

After receiving information, Rengali police, along with a scientific team, reached the spot and launched an investigation. Though the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed, locals and family members suspect that the woman may have been murdered, and later hanged from the tree to make it appear like suicide.

Police officials, however, have not ruled out the possibility of suicide and stated that the investigation is still at a preliminary stage. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, and investigators are collecting evidence from the scene.

Sources claimed that Rojalin had been living away from her family for a long time with her male companion in Barkote area. It has also been alleged that a few days ago, the man and some of his associates had reportedly attempted to forcibly take away Rojalin’s mother from her house.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death have added a new twist to the case, while police continue to investigate all possible angles to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide or murder.

“After we received the information, a police team, including the Rengali IIC and me, went to the crime scene. The unknown young woman appeared to be around 18 to 20 years old. The unknown young woman was hanging by some cloth or fabric from a neem tree. Her feet were not touching the ground,” Pallahara SDPO, Kailash Chandra Sethy, said.

“Currently, it looks like a case of suicide, but we will be able to confirm it after the post-mortem report comes in. A scientific team has also arrived at the scene. We are probing from all possible angles,” the SDPO added.

Reported By: Rajanikant Maharana