Woman dies by suicide after killing stepson

On Monday morning, Shilpi’s sister had called her but the phone went unattended. She informed her parents who then rushed to Sriram Nagar and found the doors locked from the inside.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

CUTTACK: In a shocking incident, a woman allegedly killed her two-and-half-year-old stepson before ending her life over a family feud at Sriram Nagar within Madhupatna police limits on Monday. Police said, the deceased Shilpi Khuntia allegedly killed her stepson Shivansu by slitting his throat with a blade in their rented house. She then hanged herself.

Her husband Santosh Khuntia (35) was not present in the house. He had gone to his native place in Salepur three days back.Santosh had married Shilpi of Netaji Nagar in the city in 2021 following the death of his first wife. Shivansu, who was Santosh’s son from his first marriage, was staying with them. Both Santosh and Shilpi were engineers by profession and working with private companies. They were allegedly going through marital discord for the last few months. 

On Monday morning, Shilpi’s sister had called her but the phone went unattended. She informed her parents who then rushed to Sriram Nagar and found the doors locked from the inside. They dialled 112 following which police went to the spot, broke open the doors and found Shilpi hanging with her veil while the child was lying in a pool of blood inside a room.

Earlier, a case was said to have been filed with the police following a fight between Santosh and Shilpi. However, the matter was settled amicably. Meanwhile, Santosh’s father Janakinath Khuntia has filed an FIR with the local police alleging murder of his grandson by Shilpi. On the other hand, the deceased woman’s father Gyanendra Kumar Das has also filed an FIR alleging that her daughter was being tortured and harassed mentally and physically which compelled her to take such a step.

Acting on the complaints, two separate cases have been registered and investigation is on, said Madhupatna police station IIC Tusar Kant Sethi.

(Suicide helplines -- Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090, Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060, Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726, Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102)

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