CUTTACK: Police on Monday night arrested Kalandi Mallick (46) who was on the run after chopping off the hands of his 35-year-old wife Saraswati Prusty and killing her in his house at Arada village under Cuttack Sadar police limits on Thursday.
Acting on a tip off, police apprehended Kalandi from his relative’s house at Karikola village in Athagarh. Police also took custody of his two minor sons, whom Kalandi had taken with him after committing the ghastly act. The minors have been sent to Basundhara short stay home, said IIC, Cuttack Sadar police station Debadatta Kar.
Police sources said Kalandi has confessed to his crime during interrogation. On the ill-fated night, Kalandi had a quarrel with Saraswati over the latter’s extramarital affair. When Kalandi asked her to restrain herself and not indulge in the illicit affair, Saraswati vehemently protested and assaulted him in front of their children. In a fit of rage, Kalandi chopped off her two hands and fled with the severed limbs. Saraswati succumbed to excess bleeding on the spot. Kalandi also confessed to have disposed of the severed hands in a nearby pond.
On Monday, police had recovered the two severed hands of Saraswati from the pond and sent those to SCBMCH for post-mortem. Police said a search is on to recover the weapon used in the crime. Kalandi will be produced in court on Wednesday.