Bhubaneswar: A local court here has sentenced five robbers, including two woman, to life imprisonment for the sensational murder of septuagenarian retired doctor couple at Sailashree Vihar in Odisha capital in November 2015.
The convicts have been identified as Kishore Chandra Behera alias Timpa, Mohammed Kamal Khan, Phulasari Behera alias Nini, Jaban Naik and Subhadra Jena alias Tikina. The motive behind the murder of Prafulla Chandra Mishra (73), an eye surgeon, and his wife, Sushma (67), a pathologist, was dacoity.
The Second Additional Sessions Judge Bandana Kar also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on each of them. If the convicts fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment of additional six months.
Around 23 witnesses were examined during the trial, said Ajit Patnaik, Vigilance public prosecutor, whom the Home Department had specially assigned the case.
The couple were found dead in a pool of blood with on the ground floor of their house on November 15, 2015. While there were strangulation marks around the neck of Prafulla Chandra with his hands and legs tied, Sushma had sustained deep injuries on head and neck. The police made the first breakthrough in the case with the arrest of Kamal, his wife Nini and her cousin Kishore in December that year. The prime accused, Tikina, and her husband Jaban were nabbed a few days later. The weapon of crime and stolen gold ornaments, cash and mobile phones were also seized from them.
Tikina was working as a domestic help with the Mishras but since she was irregular, Sushama had asked her to find another hand. Tikina referred her neighbour Phulsari Behera for the job. They both lived in Salia Sahi slum of the city. The two women then hatched a plan to rob the couple and roped in their husbands and a cousin.
“Tikina, who was the couple’s maid, hatched the plan and engaged the four men. Prosecution succeeded in substantiating the charges against the accused, leading to their conviction,” deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh said.
