By Sagar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31: The man arrested in connection with the killing of three senior citizens at Bharatpur in Khandagiri was mentally sound, police commissioner Rajendra Sharma told newspersons Thursday. He was arrested from Kantia jungle within 48 hours of the incident.
Shiv Prasad Panda alias Bhabani (27) was a drug-addict and alcoholic but nobody had expected that he would axe his grandmother and in-laws to death the same day. Panda is alleged to have killed his wife’s grandmother Sukanti Sahoo (48), and her grandfather Chakradhar Sahoo (65), because they were reportedly not willing to transfer their 600 sft land at Bharatpur in his name. Police suspect he might have killed his grandmother Shantilata Pati (40) to grab her land after killing the duo.
Bharatpur is a slum on the outskirts of the city with over 300 families living in penury. In 2008, the government had announced construction of 1000 houses for slum-dwellers under JNNURM scheme. Earlier, Bhabani’s grandmother had received 600 sft land on lease from the government. Bhabani’s father Vishnu Panda left his mother Satyabhama a decade ago and had been living in anonymity. Meanwhile, Satyabhama developed a relationship with Bhabani’s grandfather Nityanand Panda and had a girl child. Later, Bhabani’s grandfather also abandoned them and became a ‘mendicant’. Nobody knows the whereabouts of his father and grandfather.
Subsequently, Satyabhama also deserted Bhabani leaving him alone with his grandmother Shantilata Pati (70) at Bharatpur. Left with grandmother who did not like him, he took recourse to drugs and alcohol. “He has been popping nitrogen pills for long,” the police commissioner said.
Meanwhile, Bhabani developed a love-affair with his neighbour Sumi Sahoo, granddaughter of the deceased man, and eloped with her in 2009. Sumi was grandchild of Chakradhar Sahoo whose first wife had died. In 2011, Chakradhar brought his second wife Sukanti Sahoo home after Sumi eloped with Bhabani.
Since 2009, Bhabani had been living with his wife Sumi at Kapila Prasad in Retanga. Soon the love-marriage turned sour while Bhabani kept visiting Sumi’s grandparents in Bharatpur and asking them to transfer their land in his name. In 2013, Sumi attempted suicide with no known reason and later died in hospital. “We are investigating why Sumi committed suicide,” Sharma said.
Sharma is still not sure why Bhabani killed his grandmother and said the investigation is in progress. “It’s our inference that he killed her for land but we have not been able to construct the sequence of the offence in the manner it happened. The weapon of offence is missing and our priority is to find the weapon first,” Sharma told Orissa Post.