4 including Father Arrested in Puri Teenage Girl Murder Case

Puri: Four persons including the father of the deceased were arrested by police in relation to the alleged murder of a teenage girl and the secret disposal of her body in the Gop area of the Puri district. The arrested persons included Durgacharan Moharana, the father of the deceased girl, and three others who helped in the secret cremation of the body to destroy evidence. The stepmother of the victim, who is alleged to be involved in the murder, is absconding.

Puri SP has directed the investigating police officers to consider this incident as a ‘red flag’ case and file the chargesheet as early as possible.

This 17-year-old girl Sonali Moharana was allegedly murdered by her father and stepmother in the Gop area of Odisha’s Puri district on Monday night. The couple with the help of others allegedly burnt down her body to destroy evidence.

Victim’s elder sister Ranjita Moharana registered a complaint with Gop police.

According to sources, Durgacharan’s first wife died in 2018 and he remarried in 2020. It is alleged that Sonali was being tortured by her father, stepmother and the woman’s brother.