Basudevpur: A day after a woman was allegedly beaten to death following a dispute over a bamboo pole used for drying clothes at Bhairavpur village under Basudevpur Municipality in Bhadrak district, police Wednesday arrested the accused from Kataka.
The deceased was identified as Sasmita Parida, a native of Jashipur in Rajkanika area of Kendrapada district. After the death of her husband, she had been living with her daughter at the house of Ramachandra Barik in Bhairavpur. According to police, an argument broke out between Sasmita and the accused Prahlad Barik, her neighbour, over a bamboo pole erected for drying clothes Tuesday afternoon. During the altercation, Prahlad allegedly lost his temper and struck Sasmita on the head with a stick.
Family members rushed a profusely bleeding Sasmita to Basudevpur Community Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead. Based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s daughter, Priyanka, Wednesday, Basudevpur police registered a case (375/26) and launched an investigation.
The victim’s family staged a protest at the hospital, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. They also submitted video footage to police, purportedly showing the assault. Acting on the evidence, a special team led by Inspector-in-Charge Niroj Kumar Samal tracked down and arrested the accused from Cuttack while he was attempting to flee.