Odisha shopkeeper hacked to death for opposing sister’s relationship with man

Police said the family of the woman had listed two conditions including a ₹10 lakh deposit for the accused to continue to be in a relationship with her

Published on: Nov 30, 2022, 18:02:30 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A 25-year-old shopkeeper was hacked to death in Odisha’s Jajpur district by a man who was in a relationship with his sister, police said on Wednesday after the arrest of the accused. Police said the woman’s family was opposed to the relationship because the man was already married and had demanded that he deposit ₹10 lakh in the woman’s bank account and file for divorce if he wanted to continue the relationship.

Police said the accused was arrested after a protest by local residents over the gruesome crime (Getty Images)

On Tuesday evening, the accused identified by the police as Shantanu Samal attacked the woman’s brother, Jitendra Mohapatra, with a billhook, in the district’s Kaliapani area where he had a shop.

“Using a billhook, he rained blows on Jitendra. When Jitendra’s father Santosh came to his rescue, Shantanu attacked him too,” said Kaliapani police station inspector-in-charge Sushant Kumar Das.

Jitendra and his father were rushed to the nearby Sukinda health centre but Jitendra died soon after. The condition of his father is still critical.

Local residents blocked the area’s main road, set the accused’s truck and thatched hut on fire and demanded stringent action against him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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