Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police have arrested two persons in connection with the murder of an elderly man whose skeletal remains were recently recovered from the Chandka forest on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

According to police sources, the accused, Kanhei Hembram and Ram Samada, allegedly killed the elderly man on suspicion of practising sorcery and later buried his body deep inside the forest.

Preliminary investigation revealed both Hembram and Samada suspected the victim of performing black magic, which they believed had caused the deaths of their fathers in recent months. Acting on this superstition, the duo hatched a plan to eliminate him.

Probe reveals

About a month ago, when the elderly man ventured into the Chandka forest, the accused allegedly strangulated him to death and buried his body at the spot.

Following the discovery of human skeletal remains, police, along with a scientific and forensic team, conducted an extensive investigation that led to the identification of the culprits.

Hembram, who worked as a forest watchman, and Samada, a daily wage labourer, were arrested and produced before the court today.