Keonjhar: In a sign of utter lawlessness, a man beheaded a 58-year-old widow with a spade over suspected past enmity at Bhalughera Sahi of Phula Pahadi village under Patana police station in this district early Wednesday morning. The victim was identified as Tulasi Majhi, 58, wife of late Kade Majhi and the accused as Debadutta Naik, son of Kaibalya Naik of the same village. The accused repeatedly assaulted the woman with a spade and severed her head from her torso. It is suspected that the accused had harboured a grudge over the alleged religious conversion of the victim’s family, which might have resulted in the brutal murder of the widow. The incident occurred when a villager Barial Majhi was going to his farmland passing by the victim’s house around 6am Wednesday. Accused Debadutta waylaid him and attacked him with a spade. Barial fled the scene to save his life.
Also Read: Bhubaneswar court sentences four to life imprisonment in killing case
Meanwhile, victim Tulasi was standing in her courtyard and was witnessing the incident. An angry Debadutta barged into her house and assaulted her with the spade and finally beheaded her. Panicked villagers preferred to stay indoors following the incident. Acting on a complaint by the victim’s daughter Duli Majhi, Patana police registered a case (143/25) and launched an investigation with the help of a scientific team. The murder weapon has been seized and sent for forensic examination, said the police. The cops tried to interrogate the villagers as part of the probe, but they chose to maintain mum over the issue. When contacted, Patana IIC Manas Mahakud said the accused has been arrested, but the actual reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained. Further investigations are underway, he added. Notably, Tulasi’s husband Kade was beaten to death by a group of villagers at a kangaroo court held in the village after he adopted a different religion five years ago.
