Baripada: A 35-year-old man was taken into custody in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 39-year-old married woman in Betanati area of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
The accused has been identified as Jitendra Mahanty, a resident of Garudabasa village under the jurisdiction of Betanati police station in the district.
Police registered a case based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s husband alleging that his wife had been murdered under suspicious circumstances. Betanati Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 103 (murder), along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (Case No. 272/26).
Preliminary investigation showed that the deceased had gone to Baripada market on Saturday along with her male friend Jitendra. The two were reportedly known to each other and had travelled together for shopping, police said.
However, the woman did not return home for several hours, after which her family attempted to contact her repeatedly but received no response.
Around the midnight, the woman’s male friend informed her family members that she was admitted to the Mayurbhanj District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in a critical condition and she died while undergoing treatment.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the woman sustained critical injuries in her private parts. It is suspected that someone might have inserted a liquor bottle or any other hard object into the woman’s private parts after sexually assaulting her, reports said.
Meanwhile, based on the complaint filed by the victim’s husband alleging sexual assault and murder, police have registered a rape and murder case and intensified the investigation. The accused, Jitendra, has been taken into custody.
Police said the investigation is underway and further action will be taken based on forensic and medical reports.
