KENDRAPARA: Rajnagar police on Wednesday arrested a 38-year-old man on charges of murdering his wife and attempting to pass it off as suicide.
Police said accused Dharmendra Rout of Garjanapur village killed his wife Sujata Rout (34) over dowry. He was arrested on basis of a complaint lodged by Sujata’s father.
The complainant stated that Sujata had been subjected to continuous harassment and torture by her husband over dowry demands since their marriage in 2017. He further alleged that Dharmendra murdered Sujata on Wednesday morning and later hanged her body from a ceiling fan to make it appear as a case of suicide. The body also allegedly bore multiple injury marks, raising suspicion of foul play.
Rajnagar IIC Ratiranjan Nayak said police arrested under sections 103 and 85 of the BNS along with section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The deceased’s body was sent to the Aul community health centre for autopsy.