Jeypore, Feb 24: A missing persons case in Borigumma area of Koraput district turned into a suspected double murder after the bodies of a woman and her minor son were recovered from a canal, police said Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Anushka Parida and her 13-year-old son. Their bodies were found stuffed inside sacks and dumped in the Jayantigiri canal near Kotpad, according to investigators. Police said the killings are suspected to have taken place on the night of February 18.

Officers recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examination. During the investigation, police detained the woman’s daughter, Shivani Parida, her boyfriend, known as Adi, and another associate for questioning.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Satyabrata Lenka of Borigumma said the case, initially registered as a missing persons complaint, took a serious turn after the recovery of the boy’s body from the canal. “The investigation indicates it is a planned murder. We are examining all angles,” he said.

Police suspect the crime may have stemmed from opposition to Shivani’s relationship with her boyfriend, who reportedly worked at a liquor shop. Investigators said the mother had objected to the relationship, leading to repeated disputes within the family.

According to a source from the police, the accused allegedly killed the woman and her son at their residence with the help of the boyfriend. The bodies were later packed into sacks, transported on a scooter and dumped into the canal in an attempt to destroy evidence.

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The woman’s brother, Satyaban Patra, alleged that tensions over the relationship had escalated in recent months. “There was a dispute between the mother and daughter over the relationship. My sister never approved of it, and the matter was compromised twice at the local police station,” he said. “I believe, out of anger, Shivani, along with her boyfriend, killed my sister and my 13-year-old nephew.”

Deepali Nayak, the sister of the deceased woman, claimed Shivani had previously eloped with her boyfriend. “He would take her away for a few days and later bring her back. A few days ago, she again went away with him and remained untraceable,” she said. “When I saw their photograph on Facebook on Shivani’s birthday, I immediately informed Anushka, who then lodged a complaint with police.”

Subsequently, police traced the couple and brought them to the station and a compromise was reached between the two families. “But they always held a grudge against my sister because she reported the matter to police and they had to apologise at the police station,” Nayak alleged.

Police said further investigation is underway and appropriate legal action will follow based on the findings.