Odisha: Patnagarh Parcel Bomb Accused Punjilal Aspires To Be A Scribe

Balangir: Punjilal Meher, the accused in the parcel bomb blast case in Patnagarh of Odisha’s Balangir district, is aspiring to be a journalist.

In a few hours, Meher, now lodged in Patnagarh jail, will sit for a test for journalism course offered under the Odisha State Open University, prison sources said.

It may be noted here that Meher, an English lecturer at Jyoti Vikas College in Patnagarh, had allegedly sent a parcel bomb to the house of Sanjukta Sahu, the principal of the college, to take revenge over a job related dispute.

The bomb was wrapped in a gift package and sent by Meher from Raipur in Chhattisgarh to Sanjukta’s house on the occasion of her son Soumya Sekhar’s marriage on February 23, 2018. Soumya and Sanjukta’s mother-in-law Jemamani died in the explosion while Soumya’s newly-married wife Rimarani sustained injuries.

The Odisha High Court had rejected the bail plea of Meher in July, 2022. A division bench had directed to expedite hearing of the case and to submit the list of witnesses in the lower court.

Following investigation, police had filed a 300-page preliminary charge sheet in the court in August, 2018. The charge sheet mentioned Meher as the accused.