Cuttack: Police have taken prime accused Deepak Rout on one-day remand in the high-profile woman constable Shubhamitra Sahoo murder case, marking a major development in the ongoing investigation.
The Khuntuni police produced Rout before the Athagarh court in Cuttack district on Monday, which granted custody to facilitate deeper investigation into the sensational killing of traffic constable Shubhamitra Sahoo. The red flag case has drawn intense public attention across Odisha due to its shocking nature—the alleged murder of a woman police officer by her own husband, who himself was a constable.
Investigators confirmed that the remand period will be used not only to probe Shubhamitra’s death but also to revisit the mysterious demise of Rout’s first wife, Aparna Priyadarshini. Aparna, who died in 2022 in what was initially believed to be a road accident, is now the subject of a registered murder case following fresh evidence and suspicions raised during the ongoing probe. Aparna’s younger sister Rosalin Rout lodged a complaint in September 2025 demanding a thorough investigation into her sibling’s death, which has now been linked to Rout’s alleged criminal conduct.
Police sources revealed that investigators plan to conduct a lie detection test on Rout to uncover more details about both deaths. The seized evidence—including digital records, witness testimonies, and financial documents—will be cross-verified during the remand period. The interrogation is expected to shed light on possible conspiracies surrounding both cases and uncover a wider network of accomplices. Subhamitra’s murder exposed disturbing details about Rout’s personal life, including allegations of abuse, manipulation and financial exploitation. Investigators believe that examining the link between both suspicious deaths could provide crucial insights into Rout’s motives and patterns of criminal behaviour.
Capital Police had submitted a 680-page chargesheet in the Shubhamitra case before a Bhubaneswar court on December 2, 2025. The chargesheet named Rout as the prime accused, along with his cousin Binod Bihari Bhuyan (38) and associate Sambhunath Mahanta (23), who were allegedly involved in criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. The filing contained forensic reports, financial records, circumstantial evidence and statements from 42 witnesses. Charges were framed under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Shubhamitra’s body was recovered on September 17, 2025, from a jungle in Ghatagaon, Keonjhar district, she was reported missing since September 6. Investigations revealed that Rout allegedly killed her following disputes over financial matters, including her demand that he return a borrowed amount of Rs 10 lakh to organise a social ceremony to formally announce their marriage. This was Rout’s second marriage, after secretly tying the knot with her in July 2024. Police also discovered that Rout had taken out a Rs 25 lakh insurance policy in her name, raising suspicions of financial motives. Notably, he had earlier received Rs 1.5 crore from Aparna’s life insurance policy after her death.
