Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police on Saturday arrested Bhimsen Prasad Tudu, the alleged boyfriend of deceased medical student Chandrika Bhanjabala Hembram, in connection with her death. 

Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said the investigation had uncovered sufficient evidence linking Bhimsen to circumstances that allegedly drove Chandrika to take the extreme step.

According to the DCP, police have found enough material to suggest that Bhimsen's actions created the situation that led to Chandrika's death. Based on the evidence collected so far, he has been arrested and produced before a local court. Police also indicated that he may be taken on remand if further interrogation becomes necessary.

Chandrika Hembram (29), a third-year MBBS student at Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore, was found dead after her body was recovered from the Kathajodi River near Trisulia Bridge in Cuttack on June 4. She hailed from Raidandia village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district.

Investigators said Chandrika and Bhimsen had known each other since their Plus-II days and had been in a relationship for several years. According to her family, the couple had planned to get married in 2027. However, the relationship allegedly deteriorated after Bhimsen developed close ties with another woman.

Police said Chandrika repeatedly tried to contact Bhimsen on the day of the incident, making several calls from her own phone and even borrowing another person's mobile phone after her calls went unanswered. Shortly after learning about Chandrika's death, Bhimsen allegedly fled from his training centre and remained on the run, moving between Bhubaneswar, Khurda, Tangi, Mayurbhanj and parts of Jharkhand to evade arrest.

According to police, with all avenues of escape closed, Bhimsen eventually surrendered before Bishoi police station in Mayurbhanj district. A team from Barang police station then took him into custody and brought him to Cuttack for questioning.

The investigation further revealed that tensions had arisen after Chandrika came to know about Bhimsen's alleged involvement in a triangular relationship. Her family has alleged that he frequently ignored her and made disparaging remarks about her complexion and profession, ultimately ending the relationship. Police are also expected to question the woman allegedly linked to Bhimsen as part of the ongoing investigation.

The accused's mobile phone has been seized and sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) for detailed examination. Investigators are analysing digital evidence, including call records and electronic communication, to establish the sequence of events leading up to Chandrika's death.

Chandrika's mother, Hiramani Hansda, had lodged a complaint with Barang police, alleging that Bhimsen and another woman were responsible for her daughter's death. Based on the complaint and subsequent investigation, police registered a case and intensified their probe.

Earlier investigations had also revealed that Chandrika had been consulting a dermatologist in Bhubaneswar since October last year for treatment related to skin complexion concerns. Medical prescriptions and cosmetic products recovered from a bag found near the bridge where her body was discovered formed part of the evidence examined by investigators.

Police said the investigation is continuing and further legal action will be taken based on the forensic and digital evidence collected in the case.