CUTTACK: Police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the mystery behind the murder of a 45-year-old widow at Bheda under Mahanga police limits after arresting her brother-in-law. The accused has been identified as Daitary Swain of Talapada under Salepur police limits who is staying in Bheda village. He is her younger sister’s husband.
The body of Annapurna Mahapatra, was recovered from a canal around 200 metre from her house. It bore injury marks on the left leg and hand, wrist and right ear. Annapurna’s father, Haraprasad Jena, had alleged that she was kidnapped, raped and murdered when she had gone out to attend nature’s call.
Additional SP, Cuttack (Rural) Alekha Chandra Pahi said after death of Annapurna’s husband Santosh Mohapatra three years back, Swain had lent Rs 4 lakh to her for construction of a house. However, she had refused to pay back the money.
“On February 17 at about 7.30 pm, Swain had called her to Pata Nali canal. When Annapurna reached there, they had a heated argument over the issue. Later, Swain pushed Annapurna into the canal and murdered her by pressing her face into mud,” said Pahi. Swain, who confessed to his crime, helped police in recreating the crime scene.
Earlier, the police had registered an unnatural death case. Later, they turned it into a murder case after the victim’s son, Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, who works in Bengaluru, filed an FIR on Sunday alleging his mother was killed.