Deoghar, May 26 (IANS) The body of a government school teacher was found under suspicious circumstances in the forested area near Dighariya Hill in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district early on Monday, officials said.

Multiple injury marks were discovered on the face of Nand Kishore Das, 52, leading police to suspect murder.

Das, a resident of Jasidih under the Jasidih police station limits, taught at Chandramandih Primary School in Jamui district of neighbouring Bihar.

According to his family, Das left his home on Sunday evening, saying he was headed to Tower Chowk in Deoghar to visit the market.

However, when he failed to return home by late night, his family grew anxious. Repeated calls to his mobile phone went unanswered. The family searched for him at local hospitals, railway stations, and other public areas, but to no avail.

The next morning, locals alerted authorities about a body spotted in the Dighariya Hill forest. Police arrived at the scene, recovered the body, and sent it to Sadar Hospital for examination. The deceased was soon identified as Das.

Family members expressed shock over his death, stating that Das had no known enemies and led a quiet life.

They also said that he did not know how to ride a motorcycle, raising further questions about how he ended up in the remote forest area.

Suspecting foul play, the family has submitted a formal application to the police, demanding a thorough investigation into what they believe was a premeditated murder.

The police have launched a probe and are currently reviewing CCTV footage from all routes between Das’ residence and Tower Chowk.

Authorities are trying to determine whether he was accompanied by anyone and how he may have been taken to the secluded area.

A senior police official stated that the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received.

Meanwhile, the case has triggered concern and unease in the local community.

–IANS

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