Berhampur: Twenty-eight years after he was booked for murdering a woman in Chennai, a man from Odisha’s Berhampur town was arrested by Chennai police here Tuesday.
The accused identified as Harihara Pattjoshi (51) was just 23 when he stabbed Rama (48), his mother-in-law (mother of his estranged wife), at her Nanganallur residence in Chennai on August 9, 1995, police said.
He had also allegedly attacked his estranged wife Indira (21) and brother-in-law Karthik (24). After committing the crime, he fled from Chennai and managed to dodge the cops for close to three decades, police said.
Police had registered a murder case in Chennai’s S:8 Adambakkam police station and started investigations. During the probe, Chennai cops visited Berhampur on numerous occasions to arrest him, but returned empty-handed, police said.
“We formed a team and raided different places in Berhampur and its adjoining areas suspecting the fugitive might be hiding. A four-member police team from Chennai was also camping in the city for the last one week to assist local police,” Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said.
During one of the search operations, the team found him at a location in Gosaninuagaon police station area and arrested him, he said.
Police said the accused was working in an advertisement company in Chennai when he had married Indira on July 14, 1994. Indira was working as a telemarketing executive in another company. They met due to the work related assignments and fell in love.
Within a few months of their marriage, the couple separated due to domestic violence and Indira filed for divorce in a local court. This enraged Pattjoshi who attacked his wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law on August 9, 1995. While his mother–in-law died, others were severely injured in the attack, police said.
PTI