Kendrapada: The decapitated body of an unidentified woman was found near Luna riverbank at Maharakula village under Kudanagari police station limits in Kendrapada district. The body was discovered by local fishermen on Friday morning, who alerted the police. A police team reached the spot and recovered the body.The woman was believed to be aged between 35 and 40. Her head was severed from the body and she was wearing bangles. Police suspect that she may have been raped and murdered. They have appealed to the public to provide information that could help identify the deceased or lead to the arrest of the accused.“We are searching for the severed head of the woman to identify her. Sniffer dogs and a scientific team were pressed into service to investigate the case. After getting the autopsy report, police will know the exact cause of the murder. A pair of footwear was recovered and police are examining nearby CCTV footage for clues,” said Kudanagari police station IIC Jagannath Panigrahi.Senior police officers have been camping at the crime scene since Friday morning as part of the investigation. Police have shared details of the headless body with neighbouring police stations to help establish the woman’s identity. “Prima facie, it appears that the murder took place one to two days ago. We are making inquiries about missing women in nearby areas,” Panigrahi said. Police registered a case under BNS sections 103 and 238. The body was sent to the district govt hospital at Kendrapada for post-mortem. Further details are awaited.