Kendrapara: Rajnagar police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder of Tunia Palia alias Rani Mishra, whose decomposed body was found wrapped in a plastic bag near Kathuaganda on Rajnagar-Gopalpur Saline Embankment June 28.
The arrested trio included the second husband of Rani, Ranjan Kumar Rout, her younger brother in-law Bijay Kumar Rout, and their relative Sukadev Bhadra who was a member of Dera panchayat samiti.
Explaining the motive behind the killing of Rani, Tapan Kumar Nayak, IIC of Rajnagar police station, said Rani’s husband had suspected her character. She used to drink and bring men to their rented house in Bhubaneswar.
As per the inquiry report, Rani was the daughter of Magu Palai of Korua village under Naugaon block of Jagatsinghpur. She left her house and stayed in Bhubaneswar by marrying a person who was allegedly sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case. Later, Rani came in contact with Ranjan Kumar Rout, a resident of Baunsakani, who was working in a Bhubaneswar-based liquor shop, and married him.
Later, Rani allegedly started torturing her husband and used to bring men to their rented room in Bhubaneswar in an inebriated condition. If Ranjan objected to her actions, altercations erupted between the two and Rani used to torture Ranjan most of the time. At one point, she had allegedly attacked him with a sharp weapon and injured him.
To get relief from the torture of his wife, Ranjan hatched a plan to kill Rani with the help of his family members. Ranjan brought Rani to his house at Baunsakani 25th June and 26th June midnight, Ranjan allegedly asked Rani to come out of the house to go out.
Later, Ranjan with the help of his brother Bijay allegedly killed Rani at the backside of the house by strangulating her. Afterwards, Ranjan kept the dead body in a corner of the house and poured acid on her face with the help of his brother and relative.
On the night of June 27, the accused trio took Rani’s body in a vehicle to an isolated place near Kathuaganda on Rajnagar- Gopalpur Saline Embankment with the intention of burning it. But as somebaratis were taking liquor on the embankment, the trio allegedly threw the dead body of Rani wrapped in a plastic bag and fled from the spot.
On 28th June, the decomposed body of Rani was retrieved near Kathuaganda Saline Embankment, said Ranjan Kumar Dey, SDPO of Pattamundai .
The arrested were booked at Rajnagar police station (Case No 111/19 under Section 302, 201, 34 IPC) and were produced before the JMDC of Rajnagar. They were remanded in jail custody after their bail petitions were rejected by court, IIC Nayak said.
PNN