How Odisha Police cracked a murder case using a tailor’s tag and UPI transaction

The Odisha Police cracked a mysterious murder case involving a 35-year-old woman, thanks to a tailor’s tag on a bloodstained shirt discovered near the crime scene. This lead eventually led to the arrest of three individuals, according to officials.

On December 13, authorities found the woman’s body on the banks of the Kathjodi river in the Kandarpur police station area of Cuttack, PTI reported.

Since the identity of the deceased woman could not be determined and no missing person report had been filed across the state, the police had to recover the weapon used in the crime—a chopper.

Cuttack DCP Jagmohan Meena described the case as a significant challenge for the investigation team.

Despite the presence of tattoos on both hands of the deceased, which did not help in identification, authorities did find bloodstained clothing—specifically a shirt and pants—near the riverbank where the body was discovered.

Meena revealed that both pieces of clothing bore a tag labeled ‘New Star Tailors.’

The police then focused their investigation on the tailor tag, identifying around 10 tailors in Odisha with the same or similar names. They verified these tailors and compared the tag designs with the one found on the shirt and pants recovered from the crime scene.

However, no matches were found in Odisha. It was only when a tailor from the Ganjam district informed the police that such tags are used in Gujarat that the investigation took a new direction, the senior police officer explained.

Officials from Cuttack reached out to the Gujarat police, who tracked down the tailor in Surat city. The tailor’s tag number ‘3833’ matched, and further investigation revealed that the shirt was stitched for a person named ‘Babu.’

“There was no other detail available. However, the tailor gave one important clue that he had to return ₹100 to the customer ‘Babu’ but he did not have the change. So, he transferred ₹100 on the e-wallet of one mobile number. That number was contacted and it was found that he is a friend of ‘Babu’,” Meena said.

Babu was identified as 27-year-old Jaganath Duhuri, also known as Babu or Bapi from Kendrapada. “It was found that he (Babu) was going back to Surat by train. The train was passing through Rayagada when he was nabbed,” Meena added.

During interrogation, Babu revealed that he was the deceased woman’s brother-in-law. He also confessed to committing the crime with the help of his brother Balaram Duhuri (the woman’s husband) and cousin Hapi Duhuri.

All three individuals have been arrested, according to the police.

“Balaram Duhuri was the husband of the deceased woman. The motive of the crime is a chronic marital dispute between the deceased and her husband. Balaram was doubting that the deceased was having an extra-marital affair with someone,” DCP Meena said.