Prime Accused in Angul Rape and Murder Case Arrested from Maharashtra

Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, the Angul police have arrested the prime accused in the rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman from Kaniha, Angul, who was working in Bhubaneswar. The accused, identified as Bisu Gochhayat (28), was apprehended from Raigad district in Maharashtra, where he had been hiding and working in a factory after fleeing Odisha.

The development was announced by Angul Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Jain during a press conference on Sunday.

“Soon after the crime, the accused went into hiding. To trace him, we formed six special teams comprising two Additional SPs, one DSP, four Inspectors, five Sub-Inspectors, five ASIs, and three Constables. Our teams scanned footage from over 1,000 CCTV cameras across multiple states,” said SP Jain.

During interrogation, Bisu reportedly confessed to the heinous crime. On the day of the incident, he picked up the victim in his auto-rickshaw while she was on her way to Talcher Road railway station. Instead of dropping her at the station, he allegedly diverted the vehicle to a deserted canal road near Kendupalli village, where he raped and strangled her using her own dupatta (scarf).

The body was later discovered by locals on May 4, sparking widespread outrage and a state-wide search for the perpetrator. Following the crime, the accused initially fled to Gujarat, then relocated to Maharashtra in an attempt to evade arrest.

He was ultimately located through technical surveillance and extensive CCTV footage analysis.

The arrest brings some relief to the victim’s family and the public, as police continue further investigation and prepare to press charges against the accused.