BHUBANESWAR : In trying to establish the motive behind Khandagiri triple murder, Commissionerate Police on Thursday quizzed accused Sneha Swakhyar Samal afresh.
Reportedly, the accused told police that he wanted to kill the doctor Atulya Meher on October 9, the second time he met him in connection with his daughter’s consultation but gave up the idea. He made a recce of Meher’s house a day before the murder and even spoke to some of his neighbours.
The investigators are trying to ascertain if Samal had any past acquaintance with the doctor or any of his family members though the accused has claimed that he met Meher for the first time on October 3. The meeting between the two lasted for more than an hour which has confused the investigators.
Besides, during the consultation, Meher also spoke at length about his family members to Samal who noted down the details on a piece of paper which is with police now.
While Meher was away at Dubai for more than a decade, his family stayed back. The cops are also probing if Samal had developed any acquaintance with them during the period. Similarly, reports that Samal had helped the doctor’s family in their house renovation is also verified.
A major gap in the incident which the cops are trying to bridge is the interaction between Samal and caretaker Prashant Behera as well his wife Runu. The investigators are trying to understand what provoked the accused to kill Prashant and his son. Since Runu, who suffered serious injuries in the attack, is still recovering, she has not been questioned. “She is a key witness towards establishing the motive,” Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said.
The deceased doctor’s wife is also yet to be quizzed since the bereaved family is still grieving.