Bhubaneswar, Sep 18: In a chilling revelation from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the murder of 25-year-old woman traffic constable Shubhamitra Sahoo has sent shockwaves across the state.

Her husband, Deepak Rout — a fellow police constable — has confessed to strangling her following a heated argument over ₹10 lakh that he had borrowed and failed to return.

Deepak had taken money from Shubhamitra multiple times to purchase land but never returned it. This led to frequent arguments between the two. On September 6, Deepak had assured Shubhamitra that he would return the money.

On September 6, Shubhamitra and Deepak left their office together, reportedly to have lunch, around 2:30 pm. The altercation escalated inside Deepak’s car near Unit-6, where he allegedly strangled her.

Shockingly, he kept her body in the car parked at the CP office for nearly an hour before driving to Ghatagaon forest in Keonjhar district to bury it.

Deepak’s cousin Pappu and his associate Jatia had allegedly helped him destroy evidence in a premeditated manner. After burying Shubhamitra’s body on the night of September 6 near Tarini Temple in Ghatagaon, Deepak returned to Bhubaneswar.

On the morning of the 7th, before heading to work, he was seen pacing up and down the stairs — possibly to stabilize his mental state — before reporting for duty as usual.

During the investigation, police discovered that Deepak and Shubhamitra were in a romantic relationship. Deepak was brought in for questioning and placed under scanner. Due to his repeated changes in statements, police conducted a polygraph test. From the 9th onwards, his movements were closely monitored and his phone’s Call Detail Records (CDR) were examined. Eventually, Deepak began to confess to the crime.

However, Shubhamitra’s father has a different say in this case. He has alleged that Deepak plotted the murder to claim the insurance money. His statement suggests that the motive behind the murder appears to be financial, not for the ₹10 lakh, but for ₹1.5 crore.

Deepak had planned to pocket ₹1.5 crore insurance money from a policy in the name of Shubhamitra, similar to one he had previously claimed after the suspicious death of his first wife. Police suspect a premeditated conspiracy involving Deepak’s elder brother, builder Prafulla Rout, and other associates.

The final rites were held at Swargadwar in a grief-stricken atmosphere, with her brother performing the last rituals. Three accused, including Deepak, Binod Bhuinya, and Jatia Mohanta, are set to be produced in court following medical tests.

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