Sambalpur: The mystery surrounding the disappearance of a 32-year-old driver nearly two-and-a-half months ago has turned into a murder case after police recovered his skeletal remains from under a bush and detained his friend for allegedly killing him following an argument during a drinking session.Police said the victim, Rajesh Gupta, was allegedly bludgeoned to death with a stone by 38-year-old Bhagaban Tandi of Bhuyanpada, who then hid the body under a bush. Tandi has been detained and is being questioned.Sambalpur Sadar SDPO Tofan Bag said Rajesh, a resident of Krishnanagar, had left home for work on Aug 26 and did not return. His brother lodged a missing person complaint at Bareipali police station on Sept 27.Rajesh, who worked as a driver and stayed with his elder brother in Sambalpur, frequently travelled outside for work and would sometimes return after 20 to 25 days. His family, therefore, initially did not suspect anything amiss.During the investigation, police received information that Tandi had allegedly admitted in front of another person that he had killed Rajesh while under the influence of alcohol. Following the tip-off, a special team comprising personnel from Bareipali and Ainthapali police stations was formed on the direction of Sambalpur SP.Police subsequently detained Tandi for questioning. Based on information provided by him, a police team, accompanied by a sniffer dog squad and scientific personnel, searched the suspected crime spot.The victim’s skeletal remains and bones were recovered from under a bush in the presence of a magistrate, police said. The remains were sent to the forensic medicine and toxicology department for postmortem examination.Rajesh’s elder brother, Rajan Gupta, said his brother earned his livelihood by driving and alleged that his behaviour had changed after he became friends with Tandi. He demanded a thorough investigation and stringent punishment for the accused.Further investigation is underway.