Chatra: A 58-year-old govt veterinary doctor was found dead in a forest near Tudag village in Chatra district on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Yogendra Yadav, a resident of Baharakocha area in Gandharia villageVillagers going to a nearby forest to collect mahua flowers spotted the body lying on a pathway early morning.Family members said Yadav left his house around 5 pm on Friday informing that he was heading towards Unta More for some work. When he did not return till 8 pm, family members began a search. Despite searching nearby areas the entire night, they couldn’t trace him.On Saturday, mukhiya of Deoria panchayat, Krishna Dubey, informed the family about the body lying in the forest. The family members rushed to the spot and identified Yadav.Locals said Yadav was a respected figure in the area. Several villagers, including zilla parishad member Chandradev Gope, Dubey and former mukhiya, Kumar Vivek, alleged it was a pre-planned murder and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.Several villagers gathered at the spot, expressing concern over alleged lack of security and sought a fair and thorough investigation into the incident.Chatra subdivisional police officer (SDPO) Sandeep Suman and Sadar police station officer in-charge Awadhesh Kumar Singh reached the spot with a police team. Police recovered Yadav’s mobile phone from the spot and have started examining his call records.“Several injury marks were found on the body of the doctor, including his face. Police are probing the case from all possible angles, including murder. A forensic team has been called to collect evidence,” said the SDPO.It is being suspected that the doctor was murdered in another place and the body later dumped in Tudag area, an officer said.The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
