Jajpur, Feb 14: The alleged dowry death of a married woman in Jajpur district has taken a fresh turn after police claimed that she was murdered by her in-laws and the incident was staged to appear as a suicide, our source from the ground informed on Saturday.

Kunita Samal, wife of Dinabandhu Samal of Ward No. 15 under Jari panchayat within Binjharpur police station limits, was found charred in the backyard of her in-laws’ house on the morning of February 11.

Investigation Reveals Alleged Assault with Iron Rod

According to Binjharpur police, the investigation revealed that Kunita did not die by suicide. Instead, she was allegedly beaten to death with an iron rod by her husband along with other family members.

Police stated that those allegedly involved include Kunita's husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. After the assault, the accused allegedly poured diesel available in the house on her body and set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and give the incident the appearance of suicide.

Loan Repayment Dispute Suspected Trigger

During the probe, police found that a dispute had arisen within the family over repayment of a loan taken from a private company. Investigators suspect that tensions over clearing the loan instalments led to the fatal incident.'

Jajpur SDPO Prashant Kumar Majhi said, "The loan EMI's due date was on February 10. Hence, Kunita first asked her husband to arrange Rs 5,300 for the repayment of EMI. However, Dinabandhu declined to repay. Then, Kunita asked her family members for money, which also went in vain.  Later, when Kunita again asked her in-laws to arrange the required amount, they assaulted her. Her husband struck her head with an iron rod, which ultimately led to her death on the spot. Dinabandhu has confessed to his crime during interrogation."

Also Read: 15 Years After Marriage, Woman's Body Found Burnt at Backyard; Family Cries Foul

Earlier, while Kunita’s parental family had alleged murder and harassment, her in-laws had told police that she died by suicide. Based on the complaint filed by her family, Binjharpur police detained her husband and launched an investigation.

Accused Forwarded to Court
Following the investigation, police arrested the accused and produced them in court. Jajpur SDPO Prashant Kumar Majhi disclosed the details during a press conference.