Odisha Man Abducted, Strangled and Burnt in Jharkhand Forest; Three Arrested

Bhubaneswar: In a gruesome incident, a 30-year-old man from Odisha’s Sundargarh district was allegedly abducted, strangled to death, and his body set on fire in a forest in Jharkhand’s Simdega district, police said on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Shiva Sahu. His charred body was recovered on March 11 from Tikra forest under the jurisdiction of Jaldega police station.

Jharkhand Police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder. The accused, all residents of Odisha, have been identified as Kishore Kerketta (35), Sanjay Kerketta (38), and Budhu Lohra (38).

According to Simdega Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Baiju Oraon, the prime accused Kishore Kerketta confessed during interrogation that Sahu had allegedly been sexually harassing his wife for a prolonged period in Sundargarh district.

Enraged by the alleged harassment, the trio hatched a plan to eliminate him. On March 10, they reportedly abducted Sahu from Odisha and took him to Tikra forest in Jharkhand, where he was strangled using a rope.

In an attempt to destroy evidence, the accused allegedly poured petrol on the body and set it ablaze before fleeing the scene.

An FIR has been registered in the case, and all three accused have been produced before a local court, which remanded them to judicial custody. Police said further investigation is underway.