Missing woman’s body recovered after 48 days in Buxa Forest

Alipurduar: The skeletal remains of Shukla Das (30), a housewife from Barobisha in Kumargram block, were recovered on Friday — 48 days after she went missing in the forest near Sheel Bungalow in Buxa Tiger Reserve.

The body was found by local women collecting firewood. Police were alerted and identification was made by her husband based on the nightie and bangles she was last seen wearing. Slippers, wood-cutting tools and a bundle of firewood were also found at the site.

Shukla went missing on March 1 while collecting firewood with her brother-in-law Bikas Das (45) and two women from the neighbourhood. The two women returned earlier and Bikas returned last. During interrogation, police said Bikas gave no clear answers.

Two days later, on March 3, Bikas was found hanging from a tree about 200 metres from his home. The autopsy confirmed suicide. Despite a three-day search using sniffer dogs, Shukla remained untraced until now.

SP Y Raghuvamshi said: “The woman’s clothes were found intact. A wild animal attack is suspected but the cause of death will be clear only after the autopsy report.”

Her husband Budheshwar Das said: “The body is my wife’s. I’m in shock. I don’t understand how all this happened.”