Mauganj, March 7 (IANS) A decomposed body of an unidentified man was recovered from a raw drain surrounded by bushes along the National Highway in Mauganj district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday evening, police said.

According to Mauganj Police Station Officer Sandeep Bhartiya, the body was found in a severely decomposed state and in very poor condition, suggesting that it may have been dumped around 10 to 15 days earlier.

He confirmed that the deceased was a male, estimated to be between 30 and 35 years of age.

The body was found when a truck driver, who had halted briefly near the highway, noticed a strong odour emanating from a nearby area.

On investigating, he spotted the body lying approximately 15 metres away from the National Highway that connects Rewa to Mirzapur-Banaras in Uttar Pradesh via Mauganj.

The driver immediately informed a nearby shop owner, who then alerted the police through Dial 112.

The body was subsequently sent for postmortem examination.

Sandeep Bhartiya stated that the Mauganj police are making all possible efforts to identify the deceased.

He said that the information has been circulated to nearby police stations, and complaints regarding missing persons in Mauganj as well as neighbouring districts of Rewa and Sidhi are being checked.

“We are currently investigating missing persons reports filed with nearby police stations, and efforts are underway to identify the young man. As the body is highly decomposed, identification is very difficult. We have to wait for the autopsy report or for someone else to make a claim,” he told IANS.

He said that the area where the body was recovered is agricultural land located along the national highway outside Mauganj city, with only a few roadside stalls and food carts visible during the day.

Bhartiya said it would be premature to conclude how the body reached the site, but did not rule out the possibility that the crime may have occurred elsewhere and the body was disposed of at another location to conceal evidence.

“The matter is being investigated from various angles, and we are hopeful that the autopsy report will give some more clarity,” he added.

–IANS

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