Angul, Aug. 6: An 18-year-old girl of Podagad village in Rengali was murdered on Friday night allegedly by his lover and his associates.

The girl’s family members spotted her body, which was dumped at an isolated place, yesterday.

Police recovered the decomposed body and sent itfor post-mortem.

An eyewitness said the body had many injury marks and the death might have been caused by strangulation.

An FIR lodged by the girl’s father at Rengali police station said the girl had gone outside to answer nature’s call and had not returned home on Friday night.

“We searched everywhere, but could not trace her. Yesterday, we got information that her body was lying at Nuabandha near our village. We immediately informed the police. We suspect that she was raped and murdered by her lover and his associates,” said the deceased girl’s father Mitu Hental.

“Circumstantial evidences pointed to murder by strangulation. The girl’s lover might have killed her to avoid marrying her. The girl might also have left home to flee with him,” said inspector in charge of Rengali police station P.C. Panda.

“Last night, we have conducted raids on the house of the girl’s lover. But, he was absconding. We are tracking his movement through intercepting his mobile phone and hope to nab him soon. Though we did not find any evidence of rape, we will wait till the post-mortem report before coming to any conclusion,” he added.

If proved, this will be the second incident in the recent past where a girl was killed by her lover.

Last moth, Lata Pradhan of Jhintipal in Chhandipada had eloped with her lover Susanta Sahu. But, Susanta killed her and dumped her body at a nearby jungle. The police nabbed Susanta who was about to flee from the state.