Patana: Keonjhar police have cracked the murder mystery of a 40-year-old man, uncovering a chilling tale of extramarital affairs and a premeditated murder.
Investigations revealed that a woman, with the help of her lover, had strangled her husband to death in Patana block of Keonjhar district.
The victim, Biranchi Narayan Mahanta, son of Jagannath Mahanta, was a native of Jadibil under Thakurmunda police limits in Mayurbhanj district.
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Biranchi was found dead near a roadside pond close to Saharpada College September 29. His wife Barsha Rani Mahanta, 30 and her alleged lover Purendra Mahakud, 28, son of Rudra Mahakud of Kamaramara under Patna police limits have been arrested and produced before court, police said at a press conference Tuesday.
According to SDPO Bijay Krushna Mohapatra, Biranchi had married Barsha around 10 years ago, and the couple had a nine-year-old son. While working for a finance company in Karanjia in 2022, the couple had met Purendra, who developed an illicit relationship with Barsha. In Biranchi’s absence, Purendra frequently visited their home, and the affair eventually came to light, leading to frequent quarrels between the couple. Biranchi later moved to Bhubaneswar to work at a 5-Star hotel, hoping to distance his wife from the affair.
However, Barsha and Purendra allegedly continued their relationship and hatched a plan to eliminate him. As the couple and Purendra were returning home from Bhubaneswar September 28, ahead of Durga Puja, they executed the plan.
Police said during an argument near Saharpada College, Purendra overpowered Biranchi, while Barsha held his hands and allegedly helped her lover strangle him. The duo then fled the scene, disposed of the victim’s phone SIM card and bloodstained clothes, and returned to their rented house in Karanjia.
Acting on call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV footage, police arrested both accused within a week. Initially registered as an unnatural death case, the matter was later converted into a murder case under Sections 103(1) and 103(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
During a presser, the SDPO detailed the entire sequence of events and confirmed that both the accused had confessed to the crime. He was accompanied by investigating officer Patro Oram, Patana IIC Manas Kumar Mahakul, and SI Laxman Majhi, among others. Biranchi’s family, including his uncle Daktara Mahanta and brother Suresh Mahanta, have demanded stringent punishment for the accused.
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