Prakash Kumar alias Pintu

Bhubaneswar, June 11: The parents of a 17-year-old OJEE rank-holder, who died under mysterious circumstances on June 6, have alleged that their son was murdered and accused police of inaction in nabbing the accused.

The body of Prakash Kumar alias Pintu, which was retrieved from Birupa river in Jajpur district on June 7, bore several injury marks, his family members said. They have criticised the police for failing to arrest the main accused.

Pintu’s father Prabodh Kumar Samal alleged that his son had been murdered but the police were trying to make it look like a case of drowning.

“Several injury marks were noticed on Pintu’s body, which was retrieved on June 7, a day after the murder. I have already lodged the FIR, but the police are yet to take any action,” he alleged.

Pintu, a student of Plus Two Science at Shakir Junior College, Jajpur, was a good cricket player and took interest in other sports as well. He was the lynchpin of the college cricket team.

“Our college won a cricket match recently because of him. He had also got a rank in the recently concluded Odisha Joint Entrance Examination, 2012,” said one of his teachers.

In the FIR, Prabodh alleged that Pintu had been lured by a friend into taking a bath in the river. “Our suspicion became stronger about his friend’s involvement (in Pintu’s death) when he initially refused to divulge any information about Pintu’s whereabouts. He might have murdered my son out of sheer jealousy.” Prabodh said in the FIR: “I have a strong suspicion that my son Pintu was killed by his friend.” He, however, failed to give any reasons for the killing of his son.

Inspector in charge of Balichandrapur Police station A.R. Mohanty said: “The inquiry in the case is on. We have lodged a case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. We are waiting for the post-mortem report.”

Mohanty said Pintu’s friend had told the police that he had gone to take a bath with Pintu, who suddenly slipped and drowned. Though he tried to rescue Pintu, he could not. “We are also inquiring into this aspect and trying to reach a conclusion,” said a police officer.