Bhubaneswar: A nurse was found hanging in a rented house at Damana in Bhubaneswar, with police suspecting that prolonged mental harassment and alleged blackmail by her former boyfriend drove her to end her life by hanging herself.

The deceased, identified as Sasmita, had been in a live-in relationship with Mahesh Nath after moving to Bhubaneswar from Balangir.

After recovering the body, police initially detained Mahesh for questioning as part of the investigation. During the probe, cops unearthed fresh evidence pointing to the alleged involvement of Sasmita's former lover, Paramananda, who is also from Balangir.

Paramananda allegedly began blackmailing and mentally harassing Sasmita after learning that she was living with Mahesh in Bhubaneswar. The harassment is believed to have intensified in the days leading up to her death.

Police are examining call recordings and other digital evidence recovered from the deceased's mobile phone.

Both Mahesh and Paramananda have been detained for questioning. The Chandrasekharpur police have registered an unnatural death case and started an investigation into the matter.