BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old woman and her associate were arrested on Friday for allegedly assaulting her two minor children with hot cooking tongs over the last three days.
The accused, Sumitra Mohapatra, and her male companion, Raju Nayak (35), reportedly burnt her 15-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son and confined them in a room at their residence in Salia Sahi, under the Maitri Vihar police jurisdiction. The children were not even allowed to attend school during this period.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Sumitra’s husband, Prasanna Mohapatra, works as a mason in Angul and has been living there for the past year. The couple is said to have marital differences. Sumitra works as a domestic help in a flat, while Raju is a driver employed by the owner of the same flat.
According to police sources, the incident escalated on Monday following a heated exchange between Sumitra, Raju, and the children. "The brother-sister duo had a heated exchange with their mother Sumitra and Raju on Monday. They burnt the girl's left hand and the boy's leg below his knees after locking them in a room," said an officer from Maitri Vihar police station.
The abuse came to light when the children managed to contact their father, Prasanna, and inform him about the assaults. Prasanna immediately returned to Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, rescued the children, and took them to Maitri Vihar police station to report the crime.
Police arrested Sumitra and Raju after registering a case. Investigators are probing allegations that Sumitra and Raju were in an illicit relationship, which may have led to the abuse, as the children reportedly confronted them about their behaviour.
"A case was registered, and the two persons were arrested. Probe is on to ascertain whether Sumitra had an illicit affair with Raju and they assaulted the children for opposing them," said the officer.
Sources revealed that Raju is married and also resides in Salia Sahi.