Redhakhole: A man, his mother and sister were arrested Tuesday for allegedly killing his wife by setting her on fire here in Sambalpur district. The trio was produced in a local court Tuesday and remanded to judicial custody as their bail pleas were rejected.
Runu Behera, daughter of Krushna Behera, a resident of Madhapur village in Angul district married Basant Behera, son of Siba Behera of Govindpur village under Redhakhole police limits April 19, 2017. The marriage was solemnised as per the Hindu traditions and Krushna had met all the demands made by Basant’s family.
However since marriage, Basant and his family members had been pressurising Runu to bring more money from her father. They had also been torturing her as Runu did not conceive. Basant and the in-laws then decided to eliminate Runu.
The deceased was cooking December 29 when Basant, his mother Bhumi and sister Namita doused her with kerosene and set her on fire. Hearing her painful cries, locals rushed to the house and rescued her. She was taken to VIMSAR in Burla. Later, she was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as her condition worsened.
Runu however, showed signs of recovery. She was released from the hospital and she returned to her parents’ house February 2. However, her condition again deteriorated a few days later and she was admitted February 6 to the Angul DHH. She breathed her last on the same day.
It was only after Runu’s death that her father Krushna lodged an FIR at Redhakhole police station accusing the deceased’s husband, mother-in-law and sister-in-law of killing her.
Registering a case under sections 498 (A), 294, 302, 304 (A)/34 IPC, the police conducted an investigation into the case and arrested the three accused.
PNN