DHENKANAL: A 36-year-old man from Ambapalasa village within Parjang police limits was on Saturday detained for allegedly beating his wife to death, reportedly for her inability to conceive. The accused Astama Khatua was caught red-handed while he was trying to set his wife Mamata’s body on fire in a nearby jungle. Astama’s elder brother Siba was also detained for his alleged involvement in the matter.
Parjang IIC Sakti Prasad Sahoo said Mamata belonged to Gandutaila village. She had married someone else 15 years ago and had a son and daughter from that marriage.
However, she left her previous husband and married Astama three years back. Mamata, before marrying Astama, had undergone a family planning operation restricting her from conceiving but Astama reportedly was unaware of it. This led to regular disputes between the couple.
“On Friday night, Astama returned home in an inebriated condition and picked a fight with Mamata over the issue. The matter escalated further and in a fit of rage, he hit Mamata with a stick on the head leading to her death on the spot. Later he carried the body to a nearby jungle with the intention of setting it ablaze. His brother Siba, who is reportedly mentally unstable also helped him in the crime,” the police officer said.
On getting information, police reached the spot and detained the duo besides seizing the body.
“The body was sent for postmortem and further investigation into the matter is underway,” Sahoo added.