Berhampur: Police on Wednesday recovered the severed body of Bishnu Prasad Gouda, who had been missing since August 19 from Bada Gumula in Gopalpur police limits.

The cops suspect that the 45-year-old Chikili village native was killed because of a triangular love affair.

The police are searching for endocrinologist Hrushikesh Tripathy, who is absconding.

Tripathy owned Gayatri Clinic at New Bus Stand. "Bishnu and Tripathy were said to be in love with a nurse who worked at the clinic," said Berhampur sub-divisional police officer Prabhat Routray.

The body was buried in a 10ft deep pit in the residential complex of a relative of Tripathy. The head and legs were recovered from nearby pits. Tripathy used these pits for treatment of medical waste. "We recovered the severed body from the spot after Tripathy's gardener who had dug it, confessed to the crime. Bishnu was killed in that clinic," he said.

The police said the doctor had approached his driver first to help dispose of the body. Later, he tasked the gardener with the job. "We interrogated the gardener after the driver mentioned his name and exhumed the body," the police said.

The deceased had opened a medicine shop near the clinic. "During this period, he developed an extra-marital affair with the nurse. After a few months, Bishnu became a collection agent of HDFC Bank and used to frequently visit the clinic to meet the nurse. This had resulted in regular heated exchanges with Tripathy," said Routray.