Argus News - Murder Over S*x, Still She Slept With Lover Beside Corpse: Balasore Police Reveal Gruesome Details

Balasore, Dec 29: Police on Monday claimed to have cracked the sensational murder of a young man inside a hotel room in Balasore’s Sahadevkhunta area, arresting two people, including a woman, and stating that the crime was driven by a dispute over a sexual relationship.

The victim, identified as Aakash Mahant, was allegedly strangled to death by his friend Ramachandra Singh with the help of the woman, Jemamani Singh, police said. Investigators revealed that after the murder, Ramachandra slept beside the body in an intoxicated state through the night, while Jemamani remained seated near the corpse until dawn.

The case drew attention as Ramachandra’s father works as a home guard, tasked with protecting the public, while his son now stands accused of murder.

According to police, the trio, all married and hailing from the Dantiamuhan village in the Betanati area of Mayurbhanj district, had come to Balasore on December 25. Ramachandra and Aakash had told their families they were travelling to check updates related to Home Guard recruitment examination. Jemamani -- married to a person from Dantiamuhan village and a mother of two -- was allegedly in an illicit relationship with Ramachandra and living away from her husband. She also joined them in Balasore.

Aakash helped arrange a hotel room in Balasore by providing his own identity documents along with those of his brother and sister-in-law, police said. All three stayed in a single room.

Police said that late at night, after consuming alcohol, Aakash attempted to establish a physical relationship with Jemamani, which was opposed by both her and Ramachandra. When Aakash allegedly forced the issue, Ramachandra and Jemamani overpowered him.

“Ramachandra sat on Aakash’s chest and strangled him, while Jemamani held his legs,” police said, adding that Aakash died on the spot.

After the incident, Ramachandra, heavily intoxicated, lay down beside the body believing Aakash had merely passed out. Jemamani, however, realised he was dead and stayed awake through the night, police said. In the early hours of December 26, she allegedly slipped out of the hotel through a rear exit and fled to Jajpur district, while Ramachandra escaped later in the day to his village.

Balasore City DSP Nirmala Gocchayat said the case came to light after Aakash’s family grew suspicious and approached the police.

“Ramachandra and Aakash had come to Balasore on the pretext of checking the status of their police exam admit cards. Ramachandra later called Jemamani from Jaraka to join them,” the DSP said.

“After checking in, Ramachandra sent Aakash to bring liquor from a nearby shop and, during his absence, established a physical relationship with Jemamani. After Aakash returned with a 750 ml bottle of rum and the trio consumed alcohol, Aakash, in an inebriated state, attempted to force himself on the woman. This led to a violent confrontation. Ramachandra restrained Aakash and strangled him, while Jemamani held his legs,” the DSP informed.

Also Read: Man Flees After Rape Attempt On Minor Niece, Police Begin Probe

The DSP added that Ramachandra initially believed Aakash had fallen unconscious and slept beside him. “Jemamani knew Aakash was dead and fled in the early hours. Ramachandra panicked after waking up later at 12 noon and also fled. We arrested Ramachandra first, which led us to Jemamani. A special team tracked her down in Jajpur,” she said.