SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur police on Tuesday arrested a 41-year-old man for allegedly murdering a widow, nearly 16 months after her half-burnt body was found near Balbaspur in Sason area in February last year.
Police said the accused, Ramchandra Sasni of Gandhipada in Burla, was apprehended following a sustained investigation based on forensic analysis, technical evidence, testimony of witnesses, and his extrajudicial confession. Sasni reportedly murdered 55-year-old Sashi Pagad of Hirakud area on February 9, 2024.
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo said on the pretext of providing her financial help, Sasni picked Pagad up from near Kali Mandir chowk in Hirakud on his motorcycle. The accused took her to a deserted stretch near Jamadarpali airstrip where he reportedly made advances towards her. When the woman resisted, an heated altercation broke out between them.
Sasni reportedly assaulted her when she threatened to report him to the police. Subsequently, he strangulated her with a ‘gamchha’ (cotton towel). To destroy evidence, the accused set the woman’s body on fire using petrol from his motorcycle and a matchbox from a nearby temple.
He later disposed of his blood-stained jacket in Mahanadi river near Burla bridge and clothes into the power channel the next morning.
Bhamoo said while the deceased’s partially-burnt body was recovered on February 10, the accused absconded after committing the crime. The postmortem report of the deceased confirmed asphyxia due to ligature strangulation as the cause of death.
Sasni was nabbed after a thorough investigation. Police recovered the gamchha, victim’s clothes, a petrol bottle, matchbox and slippers from the crime scene. The accused was booked under sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. Investigation is on and further legal proceedings are underway, Bhamoo added.