Bhubaneswar: The police have initiated a fresh probe into the death of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) student Chinmayee Priyadarshini Sahu and arrested her male friend Pritiman Dey in connection with the incident.

Chinmayee was found dead in the power channel of Hirakud dam in Sambalpur on February 29, 2023.

The BTech student, a resident of Madanpur in Kalahandi district, had gone to VSSUT at Burla in Sambalpur to receive her degree certificate during the convocation of the institute on February 28, 2023.

After the convocation ceremony, Chinmayee went to the power channel bridge of Hirakud dam with a friend in the evening. She went missing after falling into the power channel. Her body was recovered from the power channel the next day.

The police had registered a case and launched a probe into the incident. They also detained Chinmayee’s friends Pritiman Dey and Manas Tudu for questioning.

Chinmayee’s postmortem report had suggested that her death was a case of drowning. Her diatom test also confirmed that she had died due to drowning.

The police had then concluded that the incident was a case of suicide. However, the deceased’s family alleged that she had been murdered.

Chinmayee’s family had approached the Orissa High Court seeking a fresh probe into the death case. The HC directed the police to reinvestigate the case.