JAJPUR: A 23-year-old youth allegedly mowed down his elderly grandmother with a mini truck over property dispute at Khandarapur-Singada village under Panikoili police limits here on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as 70-year-old Kuli Sahoo. Police said Kuli’s grandson and accused Kartik Sahoo is on the run.
According to reports, Kuli and her husband Foina Sahoo, a farmer by profession, used to stay in their house at Khandarapur-Singada village. When their health deteriorated due to old age, their only son Narayan reportedly did not take care of them. Subsequently, the elderly couple’s married daughter Anita Sahoo came to their rescue and looked after their needs.
A couple of years back, Foina gifted a portion of his landed property to Anita and registered it in her name. The move irked Narayan, his wife and children and they reportedly used to fight with the elderly couple over property-related matters. After Foina’s death last year, Narayan and his family allegedly started to harass Kuli.
Unable to bear the torture, the woman lodged a complaint against her son and his family members with the local police and went to stay with Anita in her house.
On the day, Kuli along with Anita went to Panikoili police station in connection with the complaint she had filed against Narayan. The mother-daughter duo was returning home when Narayan’s son Kartik allegedly hit Kuli with his mini truck intentionally near the underpass service road on NH-16, killing her on the spot. Anita escaped narrowly.
On being informed, police reached the spot and took the woman’s body to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem. An officer of Panikoili police station said the elderly woman and her daughter were called to the police station in connection with the FIR she had filed against her son. They were returning home after completing necessary formalities at the police station when the accused reportedly mowed down Kuli with his truck. After committing the crime, the accused fled with his vehicle, he said.
“Basing on the complaint filed by the deceased’s daughter, police have registered a case and started investigation. We have detained Kartik’s father and brother and are interrogating them. Efforts are underway to nab the accused who is on the run,” the officer added.