ANGUL: A 40-year-old accountant’s death, initially suspected to be an accidental fall from the first floor of his rented house, turned out to be a pre-planned murder allegedly involving his wife and her male friend in Dera Colliery under Colliery police limits in Talcher.
The deceased, Surendra Barik, worked as an accountant-cum-data entry operator at the Talcher block office. His wife, Sasmita Behera (30), and her 25-year-old friend Sidhhant Majhi have been arrested in connection with the murder by Angul police. Surendra, a native of Gad Santri under Banarpal police limits, was reportedly found dead on September 24 after allegedly falling from the first floor of his rented accommodation at Dera Colliery.
On being informed, a police team led by Colliery IIC Dhiresh Das reached the spot and began an investigation. During the probe, police found blood stains on the rooftop and noticed that the CCTV camera had been disabled, raising suspicion about the circumstances surrounding the death.
On the direction of SP Rahul Jain, police examined the case from various angles with the assistance of scientific teams. During the investigation, Sasmita and Sidhhant were taken into custody. Police subsequently found that the two were allegedly in a relationship.
During questioning, the accused allegedly confessed to killing Surendra by hitting him on the head with a bamboo stick before throwing him from the rooftop, police said. A bamboo stick, suspected to be the weapon used in the crime, along with a knife, was seized from their possession.
Police suspect that the duo allegedly planned the murder to remove Surendra as an obstacle to their relationship. Both accused were arrested and produced before a court on charges of murder. Sasmita and Surendra had married in 2014 and have two children. The family had been living in the rented house at Dera Colliery for several years.