On Friday, the body of renowned social activist Ravi Soni was retrieved from the banks of the Ib River in the Brajarajnagar region of Jharsuguda district, according to police reports. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team recovered the remains around 11 AM after receiving notifications about the situation.
Sunita, Soni’s wife, has accused that he was murdered and that his body was disposed of in the river. She observed injury marks on his hands, eyes, and the back of his head, suggesting he may have been assaulted prior to his demise. Family members indicated that Ravi had departed from home on Wednesday evening.
The police are investigating the events surrounding his death and identifying the individuals he interacted with afterward. Soni was acknowledged for advocating civic and development matters pertaining to Brajarajnagar before government officials and political figures. Additionally, relatives mentioned that he had recently been experiencing mental health challenges and claimed he had previously been attacked by certain individuals.
Authorities noted that Ravi had made pointed comments against a minister in the week leading up to his death, as well as criticized a former municipal chairperson and a young BJP leader. Investigators are looking into whether these incidents are linked to his passing.
His body was transported to the Jharsuguda District Headquarters Hospital on Friday afternoon for post-mortem analysis. Dhabaleswar Sahu, the officer-in-charge at Brajrajnagar police station, stated that the precise cause of death would be determined following the autopsy, with further actions to be taken based on its results.
