Bhubaneswar, Oct. 20: Odisha’s Puri Police have arrested Madan Dalei, accused of allegedly murdering his mother and concealing her body beneath a kitchen slab, in Jharkhand, 57 days after the crime came to light.
Puri SP Prateek Singh disclosed the arrest at a press conference on Tuesday, saying a special police team traced the accused to Tatanagar, where he was working at a snacks shop.
The case came to light on August 24 after police suspected foul play upon noticing fresh plasterwork over a portion of the kitchen slab at the house. The Kumbharapada police station inspector, accompanied by a scientific team, had the slab dug up, leading to the recovery of the decomposed body of Annapurna Dalei, the accused’s mother.
According to the SP, CCTV footage provided crucial leads. On September 21, Madan was allegedly seen mixing cement in a bucket and repeatedly moving in and out of the house. Police suspect that he had bought cement near Gundicha Temple the previous day and concealed his mother’s body beneath the slab.
Investigators believe Annapurna may have died on September 20. Madan allegedly stayed at the house for a few days before fleeing Puri on September 23.
During his escape, he travelled through Bhubaneswar, Titilagarh and Raipur, where he allegedly sold his mobile phone and purchased a basic handset. He subsequently visited Kolkata, travelled to Mumbai, where he worked for about a month, and later reached Tatanagar.
Police tracked his movements using mobile phone data, CCTV footage, local intelligence, facial-recognition technology and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). His limited digital footprint and lack of regular mobile-phone use reportedly made the investigation challenging.
Police also contacted his relatives while tracing his movements across states. After receiving information that he had returned to Tatanagar, the special team apprehended him.
During interrogation, Madan reportedly confessed to his involvement and described how he had concealed the body and fled, the SP said.
Police suspect that his mother’s prolonged illness and the difficulties of caring for her may have contributed to the crime. However, the exact motive was yet to be established, Singh added.
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