JAGATSINGHPUR: A 22-year-old youth killed his parents and sister in a village under Jagatsinghpur police limits late on Monday.
Police arrested Suryakant Sethy, who used a stone to crush the family members. He was picked up from betel shop near Government Girl's School in Jagatsinghpur town in early hours of Tuesday.
Property disputes could be the reason behind the murders, which have sent shockwaves across Jagatsinghpur.
The deceased were identified as 55-year-old Prasant Sethy, his wife, Kankalata Sethy (51) and daughter Rosalin (25). They all lived in Jayabada area, a part of the Jagatsinghpur municipality.
Prasant owned a laundry shop in Jagatsinghpur town. He had four children — three sons and a daughter. Elder son Ramakant Sethy (34) lives in Keonjhar, where he works with the police department, while his second son Umakant Sethy (32) is employed in a private company in Bhubaneswar.
Accused Suryakant, a tuition teacher, had completed his graduation and was preparing for competitive examinations to secure a government job.
Preliminary investigation suggested the family had an ongoing dispute over distribution of land among the brothers and the cutting of sal trees located on their property.
The family conflict persisted for a long time.
At around 3:30 am last night, Suryakant knocked the doors of his neighbors and informed them that he had murdered his parents and sister. He claimed that he did that to seek justice from them.
Hearing the news, the shocked villagers immediately informed the local police. Rajesh Sethy, a neighbour, said that Suryakant confessed to using stones and an iron rod to kill his family members.
He locked the main gate before committing the gruesome crime.
“He said he did it to seek justice but did not disclose the exact reason. He confessed to killing them one by one by striking their heads with a stone and bludgeoning them with an iron rod. After revealing this, he fled," Rajesh said.
A police team led by Jagatsinghpur IIC Pravash Sahoo rushed to the scene and sealed the house. A manhunt was launched, and Suryakant was arrested from a betel shop near Government Girls' High School while attempting to escape.
He has been detained for questioning. Jagatsinghpur SP Bhabani Shankar Udgata said the accused appears to be mentally unstable.
“It is suspected that he killed his parents and sister using stones and an iron rod. The exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained. A forensic team has been deployed to analyse the crime scene and determine the cause of the murders," he added.