Banki: The skeletal remains including a skull, suspected to be that of a girl, were spotted today by some locals at the backside of a college in Dampada of Banki subdivision in Cuttack district.

According to a source, the locals found the human mortal remains in the morning in a forest near the college. As an identity card, a haversack, a soft drink bottle, and a few personal articles were found lying near the skull, it is suspected that the skeletal remains could be of a girl who had been missing for around one and a half years ago. However, Banki police are yet to ascertain the human’s identity.

The identity card belongs to one Jhuna Jena from a nearby village. An FIR was then lodged by Jhuna’s family after she had gone missing, but her whereabouts were not known since the intervening day.

On being informed today by the locals, Banki police reached the spot and initiated a probe.

“We have taken a cashew plantation on auction and had been to inspect the growth of nuts today. We found that a skull was lying on the ground in a lowland in the forest. Suspecting that the human skull is of the missing girl, we called one of her brothers to verify. Later, we also found the personal belongings, when the girl’s brother opened the bag,” a native of Dampada Biswajit Rana stated.

“A jacket, an identity card, a tiffin box, and a few other articles were spotted kept in the bag. Police have launched a detailed probe to ascertain the identity, which is underway,” Biswajit added.

The service of a scientific team has been sought and the team will arrive soon, a policeman said.