Sundargarh: A 43-year-old youth was allegedly murdered following a gambling-related dispute in the Lephripada area of Odisha’s Sundargarh district. The victim, identified as Rankanidhi Oram alias Anand from Hemagiri, was found dead in the Raiedihi forest on Saturday morning.

According to reports, Rankanidhi had left his home on Friday evening and did not return. On Saturday morning, villagers discovered a body lying unattended in the forest and informed the police.

The Lephripada Police reached the spot and launched an investigation. A preliminary examination suggested the youth had been murdered earlier the day.

From the scene, police recovered a motorcycle, a helmet, and a pack of playing cards, which helped in identifying the deceased as Rankanidhi.

The recovery of the playing cards has led investigators to suspect the murder may have resulted from a gambling dispute.

Sundargarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nirmal Mohapatra stated the body has been sent for post-mortem. A sniffer dog squad has also been deployed to assist in the investigation.

As of the time of reporting, no arrests had been made in connection with the case.