Puri, Nov 19: A 63-year-old woman was found murdered at a deserted water body near Rench gram panchayat under Delang police limits in Puri district on Tuesday, a source said.

The victim, identified as Sauri Mallik from Beleswari Patama village, was reportedly attacked while returning home late on Monday night, the source added.

Her body was recovered after villagers informed Delang police, who launched a probe with the help of a scientific team and a sniffer dog squad, as directed by Puri SP Prateek Singh.

Family members alleged that the murder may be linked to illegal drug activities in the area. Mallik’s son, Raj Kishor Mallik, claimed his mother travelled to Bhubaneswar daily for business via train and was killed after returning late at night. Similar allegations were echoed by the local sarpanch.

Police have registered a case under Delang PS case number 438/2025 and are examining multiple angles, said Pipili SDPO Debasish Mishra.

The Puri SP said that the accused would be arrested soon.