Rourkela: Did the panchayat executive officer (PEO) in Odisha’s Sundaragrh district plotted to kill his wife to cover up his illicit affair?
Deben Behera (35) and his brother-in-law Satya Narayan Behera, also an assistant sub-inspector of police, were arrested on Friday evening on charges of conspiracy and murder, a day after Shamyamayee was shot dead around 12.20 am on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday at Jhirdapali village under Tikayatpali police station in Bonai sub-division.
The 33-year-old was seven month pregnant. Deben then attempted to disguise it as a robbery gone wrong.
According to Tikayatpalli police station IIC Anama Charan Naik, the PEO took his wife shopping at Bonai market on Wednesday evening as a part of the plot to present himself as a caring husband. He even treated her to street food before returning home.
During interrogation, Deben confessed to shooting his wife with an illegal country-made pistol when she stepped out of the washroom. His brother-in-law allegedly helped him to conceal the crime and dispose of the weapon.
DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said he murdered his wife in cold blood and made it appear like an armed burglary since she opposed his extra-marital affair. He further confirmed that departmental action has been initiated against the accused ASI.
A special police team led by Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani, including two additional SPs and an SDPO, cracked the case after questioning seven persons, including Deven’s mother and aunt, after police found several inconsistencies in his account.
He initially claimed he was asleep when the attack occurred and woke up to his wife’s screams. While he stated that the crime occurred at 12.50 am, his immediate neighbours reported hearing the gunshot around 12.20 am. Furthermore, Simamayee was declared dead on arrival at Bonai Hospital at 1.40 am, despite it being only a 20-minute drive from their house. Adding to the suspicion, Deben waited for a driver to take her to the hospital, despite knowing how to drive himself. Discrepancies in statements from family members present during the incident further unraveled the murder plot.
