Kendrapada: Two men were arrested on Sunday on charges of abetment to suicide in connection with the death of a man who was allegedly framed in a false rape case.
The deceased, Banshidhar Mishra (50) of Pakhada village under Patkura police limits, was found hanging from a tree near the village cremation ground on Thursday. The accused were identified as Pratik Mishra and Babuli Mallick.
Police recovered a suicide note in which Banshidhar accused the two men and a woman, Damayanti Pani, who remains at large, for his death. He alleged the trio demanded Rs 1 lakh from him and, upon refusal, coerced a woman to file a false rape case on Tuesday, accusing him of an incident dating back to 2020.
“Gayatri, the deceased’s wife, filed a complaint against Pratik, Babuli and Damayanti on Friday. She stated that Banshidhar took the extreme step due to mental distress caused by false rape accusation. We have apprehended two individuals and are searching for the female suspect Damayanti,” said Mohammad Jamshed, inspector in-charge of Patkura police station.