ROURKELA: A 23-year-old youth brutally hacked his aunt and her mother to death over a petty quarrel at Tumulia village within Hemgir police limits in Sundargarh district on Saturday evening.
Police identified the deceased as Bilasini Suir (40) and her mother Rukmani Bhainsal (60). The accused, Ratnakar Suir alias Rinku, has been arrested.
Sources said Bilasini, a widow, and Ratnakar lived in adjacent houses and had a strained relationship. They often used to quarrel over petty domestic issues. At around 4 pm on Saturday, Bilasini and her mother were on way home carrying drinking water in pots when they encountered Ratnakar in front of their house.
Since both were at loggerheads, Ratnakar and Bilisani picked up a fight instantly over some comment. When they started to badmouth each other, the fight turned into a fierce altercation. In a fit of rage, the accused picked up an axe from his house and brutally attacked Bilasini and her mother. The duo was killed on the spot.
When neighbours and villagers heard Ratnakar and Bilisani quarrelling, they took the matter lightly as it was a regular affair with the the duo. But on hearing the women scream, they rushed to the spot and found Bilasini and Rukmani lying in pools of blood.
On being informed, police reached Tumulia village for investigation. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Sundargarh Nirmal Mohapatra said with the help of scientific team, bodies of the deceased were recovered and sent to the hospital for autopsy on Sunday. The accused youth was arrested and the weapon used in the crime seized from him.
Attributing the crime to a prolonged family dispute between the accused and the deceased women, the SDPO said before the ghastly murders, Ratnakar had a fierce quarrel with Bilasini over a trivial domestic issue. Rukmani hailed from nearby Sadar area and was staying with her widow daughter.
Basing on the complaint of Bilasini’s 14-year-old son, a murder case was registered. The accused was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway, he added.