Son Went to Visit Lord Jagannath, Never Returned Body Sent Without Post-mortem

Son Went to Visit Lord Jagannath, Never Returned Body Sent Without Post-mortem “My Son Was Murdered,” Alleges Elderly Father Before Chief Minister Baripada, Oct 4 (P.N.S.) A young daily-wage worker, Jagabandhu Das (55) of Baripada, had gone to Puri to visit Lord Jagannath’s temple. While returning home, he was carrying a large sum of money to buy some household materials. However, he never came back. Around 12:20 midnight, a man identifying himself as Sunil Mishra, a hospital staff member, called Jagabandhu’s elderly father Ananda Chandra Das, saying, “Your son is in serious condition. Come to Puri District Hospital immediately.” Early the next morning, the old father reached Puri District Hospital but couldn’t find his son anywhere. When he approached the CDMO (Chief District Medical Officer) and showed the phone number from which the call had come, the CDMO contacted someone over the phone and directed the father to Kumbharpada Police Station. At the police station, he was told that his son had been referred to SCB Medical College, Cuttack. Immediately, the old man rushed to Cuttack, but even after a long search, he could not locate his son. Later, in the evening, when he met the Superintendent of Cuttack Hospital, he was informed after much persuasion that his son’s body was lying in the morgue. He was told, “Take the body immediately, or else it will be buried in the sand near the Mahanadi River.” Having no other option, the grieving father brought his son’s body back to Baripada in a hearse and performed the cremation. However, he found neither the money nor the mobile phone that his son had carried. There were also multiple injury marks on the body. Despite all this, neither the police nor the hospital authorities explained the cause of death. Doubt and suspicion began to grow in the father’s mind. After completing the funeral rituals, the elderly father went back to Puri to find more information about his son’s death. There, he obtained some photographs showing his son being detained by police, visible injury marks on his hands, and police handling his dead body — which further confirmed his suspicion. According to the death report attached to the body, Jagabandhu Das was admitted to Puri Hospital on 5 August 2025 and died on 6 August 2025. After his death, Kumbharpada Police reportedly transported the body to Cuttack. However, questions remain: Why was no post-mortem conducted when the police moved the body from Puri Hospital? Why was no autopsy done even in Cuttack before handing over the body to the father? When many unclaimed bodies usually lie for days, why did the authorities act so quickly to dispose of this one? Was there something they were trying to hide? Who admitted Jagabandhu to Puri Hospital? Who is Sunil Mishra, who called the father from number 8018700140 at 12:20 a.m. saying the son was serious? If the family had already been informed that night, then why did the police not wait until the next morning (6 August) before sending the body to Cuttack? Why was there no further contact with the family before transporting the body? These unanswered questions have left the elderly parents deeply distressed. Still, they have not lost hope for justice. The father has submitted written complaints to the SP and Collector of Puri and Mayurbhanj, as well as to the Chief Minister, demanding a fair investigation. Local intellectuals and social workers have also demanded a high-level inquiry to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death and to ensure justice for the helpless parents.