BERHAMPUR: Boudh police on Wednesday arrested a 35-year-old man on charges of abetting the suicide of a woman with whom he had allegedly developed an illicit relationship.
The accused is Sanjeev Kumar Sahoo, a resident of Boudh NAC. Sahoo is reportedly the Bajrang Dal’s president of Boudh district. Police said the accused had developed an illicit relationship with a married woman, Prabina Sahoo (27), and later blackmailed her multiple times. Even after the woman reportedly withdrew her consent, the accused allegedly continued to contact her.
On March 12, tensions escalated, leading to disputes in Prabina’s family over the issue. The accused reportedly threatened to commit suicide if the victim stopped communicating with him.
Unable to bear the pressure, Prabina attempted to end her life by hanging at her residence. She was rescued and admitted to hospital, where she died during treatment on March 14.
“Investigators concluded that Sanjeev played a significant role in instigating and abetting the victim to take the extreme step,” said Boudh SP Rahul Goel.
Meanwhile, Prabina’s father has urged the SP to conduct an impartial inquiry. In a letter, he alleged that his daughter did not die by suicide but was murdered by her in-laws. He further claimed that the case was being portrayed as a suicide due to alleged political patronage enjoyed by her in-laws.
He warned that if the culprits are not arrested soon, the family would stage dharna in front of the SP office. Prabina’s in-laws couldn’t be contacted for comments.