SAMBALPUR: A woman was brutally stabbed to death reportedly by her brother and sister over land dispute at Majhipada village within Govindpur police limits in Bamra block here on Sunday.
Police identified the deceased as 37-year-old Leena Sahu. The accused, Leena’s brother Golak Sahu (30) and sister Pushpanjali Sahu (42), were arrested by Govindpur police.
Sources said after getting separated from her husband, Leena moved to Sambalpur and was staying there. Pushpanjali and Golak remained unmarried and resided in their ancestral house at Majhipada. There was a long-standing dispute between Leena and her siblings over division of their ancestral property. The woman was reportedly not on talking terms with her brother and sister.
On Sunday, Leena arrived at Majhipada to attend the 12th day death ritual of her uncle. Pushpanjali and Golak were reportedly unhappy over the invite to Leena. On seeing the woman, the accused duo flew into rage and a heated argument broke out between them inside their house.
During the altercation, Golak and Pushpanjali started to assault Leena. While Pushpanjali held the woman, Golak stabbed her multiple times with a knife. Leena suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to Govindpur community health centre by villagers. However, the doctors declared her brought dead.
On being informed, police reached the village and seized the woman’s body for postmortem. The accused duo was also arrested. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Kuchinda Pradip Das said though the exact motive behind the murder is under investigation, preliminary investigation suggests that Leena’s demand for her share of the ancestral property after her marital separation may have fuelled the violent confrontation. Family members had reportedly opposed her claim, stating that division of the land was not acceptable to them.
The SDPO said the knife used in the crime was seized by police. The deceased’s body was handed over to family members after autopsy. The accused duo was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway.