KENDRAPARA: Police on Friday detained a 70-year-old man on charges of trying to kill his daughter-in-law and minor granddaughter by setting fire to his house at Damarapur in Pattamundai here.
The accused is Prafulla Ray. He along with his son Susant Ray (40) and wife Kanakalata Ray (65) allegedly locked Sasmita Das (36) and her six-year-daughter in one of the rooms and set the house on fire with an intention to kill both of them on Thursday night. However, Sasmita escaped from the house with her daughter by breaking open the door.
On Friday, Sasmita’s brother Ranjan Das lodged an FIR with Pattamundai police alleging that his sister married Susant in 2018. Since the marriage, she was being allegedly tortured by her husband and in-laws over dowry. After Sasmita gave birth to a daughter, she was reportedly subjected to more physical and mental harassment by the accused.
Acting on the complaint, police registered a case and after investigation, detained Sasmita’s father-in-law. However, her husband and mother-in-law fled from Damarapur.
IIC of Pattamundai police station Srikant Barik said a scientific team was pressed into service to investigate the case. Two of the accused are absconding and police are raiding their hideouts to nab them, he added.