Cuttack: Mystery surrounding the death of nurse Niharika Patra (24) in Cuttack has finally been solved after Jagatsinghpur SP today confirmed that the young woman was killed by her lover and he is the sole accused in this case.

Briefing mediapersons here, SP R Prakash said accused Kishore Kumar Anchal (27) alias Raja killed Niharika on September 8 after she continued to delay their marriage as Kishore was not well settled. Both were in a love relationship for the last 5 years. While Niharika was working at MM Medicare in Rajendra Nagar area as a staff nurse, Kishore had no permanent job.

Describing the modus operandi, the SP said at around 4.50 PM on the fateful day, Kishore picked Niharika up from the hospital on a motorcycle and took her to a rented house of his friend Sunil Sahoo at Chauliaganj. He later killed her in the room between 7 PM and 8 PM and packed the body in a plastic gunny bag. Thereafter, he tied the body on the pillion seat of the motorcycle before dumping it in Biluakhai river near Nuapari village.

“It is suspected that he strangulated Niharika to death since a concussion was spotted around her neck,” SP stated.

The incident had come to fore after a missing complaint was lodged at Madhupatna police station by Niharika’s mother Pratima, a resident of Bhingarpur in Bhubaneswar, on September 17, the same day when a body was recovered from the banks of Biluakhai river near Nuapari village.

While lodging the complaint, Niharika’s family alleged that she had eloped with her beau Raja. However, when her body was recovered from the river bed, the family alleged it to be a case of murder.

“Though the accused had earlier absconded after committing the crime, he later surrendered and confessed his crime on September 20. Based on sufficient oral, scientific and forensic evidence against Raja, we arrested him,” the SP added.

After the Jagatsinghpur SDJM court rejected Raja’s bail plea, the accused was sent to the Alipingala jail.