Phulbani: The Baliguda police in Odisha’s Kandhamal district have arrested a woman, Snehalata Behera, on charges of abetting the suicide of her husband, Ashok Kumar Behera, who was a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan.
Ashok, a resident of Nuasahi near the Gayatri Mandir Colony who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, tragically passed away last week after consuming poison. He had been rushed to a hospital on July 7 following the incident but ultimately succumbed during treatment. Following his demise, local authorities initiated a formal investigation after the deceased jawan’s mother filed an official complaint holding Snehalata responsible for driving her son to take the
extreme step.
According to police, the investigation has shed light on severe and prolonged marital discord between the couple. The jawan’s family alleged that Snehalata subjected Ashok to persistent mental harassment, mismanaged his hard-earned salary in his absence, and was involved in an extramarital affair with another CRPF jawan. These domestic struggles had reportedly fractured the marriage completely, leading Ashok to live separately with the couple’s two young daughters for the past few months.
Interestingly, the investigation also uncovered a highly turbulent history between the couple, revealing that Snehalata had previously filed more than five police complaints against her husband and his relatives on various occasions.
Police officials noted that Ashok was under intense, unbearable psychological pressure due to continuous friction and domestic turmoil. Following his death, the Baliguda police gathered enough circumstantial evidence pointing toward Snehalata’s role in the abetment, leading to her arrest. She was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
Police strongly suspect the involvement of another individual in the matter. Further investigation is underway to determine the extent of this second suspect’s role, though police have withheld additional details to safeguard the ongoing probe.