Angul: Notorious serial killer Jhasketan Rout has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing four people -two each in 2015 and 2016 in Angul.
Adjudicating the case through videoconferencing, the Court of District and Sessions Judge here pronounced the quantum of punishment Monday. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on the convict, it was learnt.
According to reports, Jhasketan, a resident of Kusakila village under Jarpada police limits in Angul district, had murdered Abala Garnayak (65) and her nephew Kumud Sahu (27), residents of Kukurpeta village May 22, 2015. After committing the crime, he had buried Abala’s body near a pond and concreted the spot. In the similar manner, he had also buried Kumud’s body near a school.
He had slaked his thirst for blood by again killing two persons–Rajkishore Sahoo and Hiranakshya Sahoo of Kusakila village. He had committed his second crime February 4, 2016. He had buried the bodies in similar fashion to avoid arrest.
However, a case was lodged against him in connection with the death of Abala and Kumud February 11, 2016. He was arrested first in 2018. For his production before Angul court May 18, 2018, he was put in a court cell. On the pretext of attending nature’s call, he went to the court toilet and from there he escaped through the asbestos roof by breaking it open.
Ever since his escape from the court, he had stayed for some time in Kolkata, Gujarat and in some other places. Later he had found a safe haven in the jungle bordering Deogarh and Sambalpur districts. He had been staying in a rented house in Samantarapali village under the name of Manoj.
Acting on a tip-off, Angul police had formed a six-member special squad under the guidance of IIC Dinakrushna Mishra. January 5 evening, when Jhasketan was going somewhere on a motorcycle, the waiting team swooped down on him and arrested him.
Though Jhasketan was nabbed from Deogarh, the Deogarh district police did not have an inkling of the operation or clue about the arrest.
Interestingly, even locals did not have any idea about the operation. They thought Jhasketan was being kidnapped. They even informed Deogarh police that some persons had kidnapped a man in a Scorpio.
PNN
