Human skeleton found in abandoned house

JAGATSINGHPUR: Erasama police recovered a human skeleton from a deserted house in Kiadingri village on Sunday. It is suspected that the skeleton is of a missing man of Tirtol. Police have sent it for DNA test.The skeletal remains were found in the house of one Saroj Mishra who has been residing in Cuttack since the last 30 years.

Sources said Saroj came to his native Kiadingri village on Sunday to conduct death anniversary rituals of his father. On opening the lock, he found bad odour coming from one of the rooms. Suspecting it to be a dead rat, he opened the room’s door and to his shock, found the human skeleton lying inside.

He immediately informed the local police who rushed to the spot and seized the skeleton. It was first sent to the district headquarters hospital, Jagatsinghpur for postmortem and later, to the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology department of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack for DNA test. Saroj also lodged an FIR with police.

Meanwhile, some people claimed that the skeleton was of one Sankar Swain (65) of Bailo village within Tirtol police limits who was missing since the last three months. Swain’s family members said the shirt on the skeleton was of the missing man. “After being unable to trace him, we had lodged a missing complaint with Tirtol police,” they said.

Erasama IIC Prasant Majhi said the house where the skeleton was found was locked throughout the year as its owner has settled with his family members in Cuttack. To ascertain the identity, police have sent samples for DNA test. “We have registered an unnatural death case. Investigation is on to know the cause of death,” he added.