Bhubaneswar, Dec. 7 -- A 70-year-old woman who had been missing for nine days was found dead near a pond in Daniapali village under the Binika police station limits in Odisha's Sonepur district on Sunday. Her family has alleged that she was raped and murdered.

The deceased has been identified as Prabhasini Mallik of Manaharipada. According to initial reports, blood was seen flowing from her nose, and injury marks were visible on multiple parts of her body. The family claimed she was killed and her body dumped in the area.

Police launched an investigation after receiving a written complaint from her relatives. Officers said the body was recovered from a muddy patch near farmland after locals spotted it and alerted authorities. The family...