ROURKELA: A 45-year-old drunk man reportedly killed his wife by repeatedly slamming her on the ground in front of their four kids in Babu Nuagaon area under Bonai police limits in Sundargarh district on Thursday night.
Police said accused Ajay Singh was arrested on Friday for killing his wife Samashi Singh (30). Ajay belongs to a nomadic community and has no permanent address.
IIC of Bonai police station Pinky Murmu said the couple along with other nomads was temporarily camped near Babu Nuagaon weekly market since the last couple of days. Ajay, his wife and their children were staying in a tent and an old van used by them for mobility.
The IIC said following a quarrel on Thursday night, the accused mercilessly assaulted his wife in an inebriated condition. The woman suffered critical injuries and was rushed to Bonai sub-divisional hospital by community members. She was later shifted to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) where she succumbed.
The IIC said police with the help of Childline members rescued the couple’s four kids and placed them in a child care institution (CCI) in nearby Bisra block.
Sources said among the four siblings, a girl appears to be less than one-year-old and highly malnourished. Another girl child is aged less than three years. The remaining two boys are aged four and six years. Following the traumatic incident, three of the siblings are in a state of shock. During his interaction with the CCI officials, the eldest sibling revealed that his father arrived in their tent in an inebriated condition and repeatedly slammed his mother on the ground, leading to her death in front of them.
Child welfare committee (CWC) member Pradeep Hansdah said the children have been kept in the shelter home with proper care. The CWC is trying to contact the children’s maternal grandfather in Madhya Pradesh. If he agrees, the kids would be sent to him after completion of necessary legal procedures.
IIC Murmu said a murder case has been registered in connection with the incident. The accused would be produced in court on Saturday. Following the incident, other families of the nomadic community have moved towards Gurundia.