Bhubaneswar, Nov. 4: The mutilated head of a man was found near Daya river in Dhauli police limits this afternoon. A palm had been found in the same area yesterday.

Eyewitnesses spotted a black plastic bag near the south Daya canal this morning.

Their suspicion arose when they saw stray dogs dragging it and called the police after discovering the head.

The police said the head bore several injury marks. “The head and the face were mutilated deliberately to suppress the identity of the deceased. The face was cut several times with sharp weapons. It is almost impossible to identify the man,” said a police official.

The police are trying to ascertain if the head was that of a 25-year-old man who had gone missing from the Khandagiri police station area from November 1.

“Efforts are on to trace the remaining body parts of the deceased. We are trying our best to establish his identity,” said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

On Monday, a cowherd had spotted the chopped palm and informed the members of a local club. The club members later informed the Dhauli police station.

Local residents complained that despite their information, the cops reached the spot quite late.

The police are also trying to find out if the murder is in anyway linked to a group clash that took place in the area on Sunday night.

The police said two groups had fought a pitched battle with sharp weapons over the recruitment of security guards at a private institution.

“A youth injured in the clash has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. A case was registered with Dhauli police station. We are trying to ascertain if there is a link between Sunday’s clash and the discovery of the mutilated head today,” said a police official.