A young woman was found dead at a hotel in the Jagamara area of Bhubaneswar on Wednesday night. The deceased has been identified as Sonali Mahapatra, a resident of Nayagarh.
Employed at Private Bank
According to reports, Sonali was employed at a private bank. The incident occurred around midnight, following which the police reached the spot and recovered the body. It was later sent for post-mortem examination to the Capital Hospital.
Male Companion Detained
The woman’s male companion, Bibhuti Pratihari, has been detained by police in connection with the incident. He is currently being questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.
Argument Reportedly Preceded Incident
As per the hotel staff, the couple stayed at the hotel the entire day. Around 11 pm, they were reportedly heard arguing in loud voices. Following the disturbance, other customers and hotel staff intervened to calm the situation, after which the couple returned to their room.
Fall From Rooftop Under Investigation
Later that night, the couple reportedly went up to the hotel terrace. Shortly thereafter, the woman fell from the rooftop. Hotel staff and other guests rushed to help, but she had died on the spot.
The rooftop area of the hotel does not have any CCTV coverage, making it difficult to establish whether the woman jumped or was pushed.
According to Bibhuti, an argument had resumed between them over a personal matter after reaching the terrace. He further alleged that Sonali jumped from the rooftop following an altercation.
Police Verifying Sequence of Events
Police are examining all aspects of the case to determine the sequence of events. Preliminary findings suggest that following an altercation between the two, the woman died by suicide after jumping from the hotel roof.
Mother of the deceased said, “Her friend called me and said that your daughter is no more. Upon inquiring, he further said that she jumped off the roof because of their argument while he went downstairs for water. I do not believe that my daughter jumped off nor did she feel unwell and fell off, she was educated and smart. She would never take such a step.”
Commenting on the matter, Tapas Pradhan, ACP Zone 5, said, “We have seized their phones to investigate the matter further as the reason behind the argument is unclear. We have not questioned the family yet, we are waiting for them to file a complaint following which we will begin our questioning.”
