A 22-year-old pregnant woman from Odisha’s Koraput district was allegedly murdered and her body transported across the state border before being buried in Andhra Pradesh, police said. The woman, identified as Albina Garada, had been missing since July 29. Her partially decomposed remains were eventually recovered from the Gajapathinagaram area of Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district.
Police have arrested two men in connection with the case, including Albina’s alleged lover, 35-year-old Mohan Khilla, and his 19-year-old associate, Milan Kuldeep. Investigators suspect the two were involved in the killing and in transporting and concealing the woman’s body.
The case came to light after Albina went missing from her home in Koraput district. Her disappearance prompted an investigation that gradually led police to examine her relationship with Khilla and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Woman had been missing since July 29
Albina, a resident of Tunkhal village in Koraput district, was reported missing on July 29. According to the investigation, she had been in a relationship with Mohan Khilla for nearly a year.
The relationship reportedly became known to her family after an Anganwadi health report indicated that Albina was approximately three months pregnant. Soon after the pregnancy came to light, she disappeared.
On August 1, Khilla himself reportedly approached Semiliguda police station and filed a missing-person complaint. However, as the investigation progressed, police began examining his connection to the disappearance.
Investigators reportedly found information that raised suspicion about Khilla and his associate. The two men were subsequently detained and questioned as police attempted to reconstruct Albina’s movements before she went missing.
Investigation leads police to Andhra Pradesh
According to investigators, questioning of the suspects produced information about the possible location of Albina’s body. Based on these leads, Semiliguda police coordinated with their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and began searching the Gajapathinagaram area of Vizianagaram district.
The search eventually led to the discovery of partially decomposed human remains believed to be those of Albina. Her father reportedly identified the remains based on the clothes recovered with the body.
Because of the condition of the remains, police preserved DNA samples as part of the identification and forensic investigation. The body was also sent for post-mortem examination to establish the cause and circumstances of death.
The recovery of the body marked a major development in a case that had initially been registered as a missing-person investigation.
Car and digging tools seized
Police have also seized a car allegedly used to transport and dispose of Albina’s body. Investigators reportedly recovered tools suspected to have been used to dig the burial site.
These items are expected to form part of the evidence being examined as investigators establish the sequence of events leading to the woman’s death and the subsequent concealment of her body.
The forensic examination, including the post-mortem and DNA analysis, is expected to provide additional evidence regarding the circumstances of Albina’s death.
Police suspect relationship dispute behind killing
Investigators have reportedly found that Khilla was already married twice and was allegedly involved in a relationship with Albina. Police suspect that a domestic dispute may have preceded the killing.
According to the preliminary investigation, Albina was allegedly killed before her body was taken to Andhra Pradesh and buried with the assistance of Kuldeep.
However, the precise motive and circumstances surrounding the alleged murder are still being investigated. Police are expected to examine the relationship between the victim and the accused, their movements around the time of her disappearance, communication records and other available evidence.
The investigation will also seek to establish the exact sequence of events between Albina’s disappearance on July 29 and the recovery of her remains.
Accused sent to judicial custody
Mohan Khilla and Milan Kuldeep were produced before a court following their arrests and were remanded in judicial custody.
Police are continuing their investigation and are expected to examine the forensic evidence recovered from the burial site, the vehicle allegedly used in transporting the body and other material collected during the probe.
The case also highlights the importance of forensic evidence in missing-person investigations, particularly when a victim’s remains are recovered after significant decomposition. DNA testing can play a crucial role in establishing identity when visual identification becomes difficult.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the arrested men will have to be established through evidence and due legal process.