BHUBANESWAR: In a gruesome incident, a forester was allegedly burnt to death by his wife and son at their house in Baramasi Lane in Nayagarh town, about 85 km from Bhubaneswar, for allegedly having an extramarital affair.
Sisir Sahu, a native of Manapur in Nayagarh district, was posted in Pancharida forest range under Sarankul. He had constructed a new house in Baramasi Lane where his wife Namita Sahu (45) and son Abhishek Ranasingh (26) resided. He, however, lived separately due to a marital dispute between the couple.
Police said Sisir used to visit their house rarely and whenever he did so, he either spent the night in his car or the drawing room. On Friday night, he went there reportedly in an inebriated state and had an argument with his wife and son.
Police said initial investigation revealed Namita and her son Abhishek had already planned the murder. They had purchased five to 10 litre of petrol to set him ablaze. Taking advantage of his inebriated condition, the mother-son duo reportedly poured petrol on him after 12.30 am on Saturday, killing him on the spot. Such was the severity of the burning that deceased Sisir’s bones cracked in the heat, police sources said.
Namita then reportedly contacted Sisir’s brother Sarat Chandra Sahu and informed him that he died due to burn injuries in a fire accident caused by a short circuit in their house. Odisha Fire and Emergency Service personnel reached the spot and realised it was a case of foul play. Nayagarh Sadar police were alerted and they rushed to the spot.
Prima facie it did not appear like a fire accident. Initially, the woman and her son claimed that Sisir had caught fire due to a short circuit, police said.
“However, after their sustained interrogation, the duo confessed to the crime. Sisir allegedly had an extramarital affair which was the reason behind their marital discord and the trigger for the murder. The extra-marital aspect is being investigated. The mother-son duo has been detained and further questioning is on,” Nayagarh SP, S Susree told TNIE.
Nayagarh SDPO Jyoti Ranjan Samantaray said a scientific team visited the spot to collect evidence. “The woman is a housewife and her son, a postgraduate, was looking for a job as a college teacher. It was a pre-planned murder and committed by both of them,” he added.
Sisir’s brother Sarat lodged a complaint with Sadar police and a case of murder was registered. The couple was married since the last 27 years, police said.