Patna: Body of a 29-year-old man was found on a footpath near Benipur railway halt in Muzaffarpur district on Wednesday. A blood-stained stone was also found near the body.The deceased was identified as Ashok Rai, son of Bhagirath Rai and a resident of Bedaul village under Aurai police station area. Police said injury marks were visible on the body, but the exact cause of death and circumstances leading to it were yet to be established.According to Ashok’s family members, he had left home on Tuesday evening to buy vegetables but did not return. The family was informed on Wednesday morning that a body was found near Benipur railway halt. They reached the spot and identified it as Ashok. He is survived by two sons. The family has not yet submitted a written complaint to the police.Police reached the spot after being alerted and found Ashok’s motorcycle and mobile phone near the body. A blood-stained stone was also recovered from the area. Police are examining the evidence to determine how Ashok died and whether the stone was used in the assault.The body was sent to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) for the postmortem. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also examined the incident site and collected evidence.Inspector Mukesh Sharma, Aurai SHO Sunil Kumar and other police personnel inspected the area and searched the surroundings.“Police are examining the case from multiple angles, including murder. We are analysing Ashok’s call detail records, mobile location and tower-dump data to reconstruct his movements after he left home on Tuesday evening and identify the people who were in contact with him,” the SHO said.Police said the postmortem and FSL reports would help establish the exact cause of death and nature of the injuries. They said no conclusion would be drawn until the evidence is thoroughly examined.
