Rayagada: A 40-year-old woman was allegedly bludgeoned to death by her brother-in-law with a spade Friday following a longstanding land dispute, police said. The incident occurred in Fepaguda village under Dhamunipanga panchayat within the jurisdiction of Kalyansinghpur police station in Rayagada district. The victim was identified as Surendri Saraka, wife of Prepakha Boimajhi.
According to police, Boimajhi had gone to work on their farmland while Surendri was preparing lunch at home. His elder brother, Latara Boimajhi, allegedly attacked her with a spade, striking her multiple times on the head. The assault is believed to be a fallout of an ongoing family feud over ancestral land. Prepakha rushed home after learning of the incident and took his critically injured wife to the Kalyansinghpur Community Health Centre. She was referred to the Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital, but died en route. Doctors at the hospital later declared her dead.
Latara surrendered at Kalyansinghpur police station and is in custody, said Inspector-in-Charge Neelakantha Behera. Rayagada SDPO Gaurahari Sahu, IIC Behera and a scientific team visited the scene to collect evidence. Surendri, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) at the local health centre, is survived by her husband and three daughters.
