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Odisha police arrest wife, alleged lover for murder of 23-year-old man
Police have seized countrymade firearms, motorcycles, and seven mobile phones believed to have been used for the crime.
A week after a 25-year-old chicken shop owner was shot dead outside his shop in Odisha’s Jajpur district, police on Monday arrested five persons, including the victim’s wife and her alleged paramour, for allegedly orchestrating the killing.
The deceased, Soumya Sagar Samal, was closing his shop at Kalimegha in Jajpur on the night of April 6 when unidentified assailants opened fire on him. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital the following day.
Addressing the media, Jajpur superintendent of police Yash Pratap Shrimal confirmed the arrests and said the investigation had uncovered a “love-affair angle” behind the crime. “Five accused persons have been arrested in connection with the murder, including the victim’s wife and the main shooter,” he said.
Those arrested have been identified as Tapas Kumar Khilar (27), the alleged prime accused; Subhashree Samal (24), the victim’s wife; Priti Prabha Priyadarshini (24), Tapas’s sister; and their associates Ankit Thakur (35) and Suraj Singh (36). Police said each of them played a distinct role in planning and executing the murder.
According to police, the roots of the case date back to 2020, when Subhashree and Priti worked together at a beauty parlour in Jajpur town. The two women allegedly developed a physical relationship and, through her association with Priti, Subhashree came in contact with Tapas, Priti’s brother. A romantic relationship between Subhashree and Tapas followed, with Tapas allegedly promising marriage.
Despite this, Subhashree married Soumya on July 14, 2024, a union that his family reportedly did not approve of. However, the relationship with Tapas continued even after the marriage.
During the Holi festival earlier this year, Soumya confronted his wife over the relationship and also warned Tapas and Priti to stay away from her. The warning allegedly enraged Tapas, who then began plotting to eliminate Soumya.
Tapas, who works as a driver in Rourkela, enlisted the help of Ankit and Suraj to procure a country-made pistol. The weapon was sourced from Rourkela, where one of the accused had prior criminal connections. Tapas paid ₹49,000 to the suppliers through his sister Priti’s PhonePe account, and an additional ₹9,000 in cash at the time of delivery. He returned to Jajpur town on March 31 with the firearm.
On the night of April 6, Soumya was shot by Tapas between 10:30 pm and 10:40 pm outside his shop.
The breakthrough in the case came through phone records. “While checking the call detail records of Priti’s phone, we found over 1,300 outgoing and incoming calls to a particular number. After collecting details of that number, we apprehended Priti, and based on her revelations, we nabbed the prime accused and the gun suppliers,” said SDPO Jajpur Town Prashant Majhi.
Police have seized countrymade firearms, motorcycles, and seven mobile phones believed to have been used for the planning of the crime. The weapon used in the killing was later recovered near the Baitarani river bank, close to Maharaja Jajati Kesari Medical College.
SP Shrimal said the accused had attempted to destroy evidence and evade arrest. “Sustained technical analysis and coordinated field operations enabled us to identify and apprehend them,” he added.
