JEYPORE: A 22-year-old woman was reportedly charred to death under mysterious circumstances in the quarters of Odisha Special Armed Police (OSAP) 3rd Battalion at OMP Line under Koraput Town police limits on Wednesday night.
The deceased, Priyanka Panda, was the wife of Siba Sankar Patra, a constable of the 1st India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Koraput.
Sources said Priyanka had married Siba one and a half years back. The couple has a six-month-old daughter. At around 8 pm on Wednesday, the local fire services personnel were informed about a blaze in Patra’s official quarters.
They rushed to the spot and found Priyanka engulfed in flames inside the bedroom. They tried to rescue her but to no avail.
Sources said Siba had informed the fire brigade about a short circuit in his house which led to the blaze. However, no gas leakage or any sign of short circuit was found in the quarters.
On being informed, Koraput Town police reached the spot and sent Priyanka’s body to SLN medical college and hospital for autopsy.
Meanwhile, the deceased woman’s parents, who are residents of Tekeli village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, reached Koraput on Thursday and lodged a complaint with police alleging that their daughter was being tortured by her husband and in-laws over dowry. They claimed that Priyanka was murdered by her husband.
Koraput Town IIC Satyendra Patra said basing on the complaint and circumstantial evidence, a murder case was registered against Siba. Further investigation is underway.
