JAGATSINGHPUR: Shockwaves spread in Balikuda area after a fugitive accused of rape hacked his grandmother to death and injured three persons including a six-year-old girl at Gadeigiri village here on Wednesday. Accused Jeevan Jyoti Sahoo (32) had escaped from Allipingal sub-jail in April this year. Police had arrested him for allegedly raping a minor girl of Gadeigiri village in December 2020.
Sources said the fugitive took his family by surprise when he arrived at his house on Tuesday. He decided to avenge his arrest and kill the minor girl’s mother. On Wednesday morning, he picked up a chopper and came out of the house. However, his maternal grandmother Sakhilata Sahoo (70) stopped him.
In a fit of rage, Jeevan hit Sakhilata with the chopper. The blow landed on the elderly woman’s neck, severing her head from the body. Two women of nearby houses, Sandhya Das and Hema Das, and the girl tried to come to Sakhilata’s rescue but they too were attacked. Hearing their screams, villagers rushed to the spot and overpowered Jeevan. He was later handed over to police.
While police seized Sakhilata’s body and sent it for postmortem, Sandhya, Hema and the minor were admitted to the district headquarters hospital. Later, Sandhya was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack after her condition deteriorated.
According to locals, Jeevan and the minor girl were reportedly in love. However, the girl’s mother opposed the relationship. When the accused insisted on marrying the girl, her mother lodged a complaint with Balikuda police. Basing on her FIR, police arrested Jeevan under POCSO Act in December 2020. The accused was lodged in Allipingal sub-jail. In April this year, he escaped from the jail by scaling the prison boundary wall. Since then, he was searching for an opportunity to take revenge on the girl’s mother whose FIR led to his arrest.
Balikuda IIC Salil Pradhan said Sakhilata’s son filed an FIR basing on which police registered a case against the fugitive. Jeevan has been detained in the police station and is being interrogated. The blood-stained chopper was seized from his possession. Further investigation is underway.
Horror story
The UTP was searching for an opportunity to take revenge on the girl’s mother whose FIR led to his arrest
When Jeevan was stopped by his maternal grandmother Sakhilata, he hit her on the neck with the chopper and beheaded her
Two women and a minor tried to rescue Sakhilata but were also attacked