Odisha: Woman shot dead while trying to save husband from giving ‘hafta’

The woman’s husband said the youth was inebriated when he came to his house and threatened to kill him if he failed to pay him money

Published on: Sep 15, 2022, 15:33:55 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A 45-year-old woman in Odisha’s Nuapada district was allegedly shot dead on Wednesday night while trying to save her husband from an armed youth asking for ‘hafta’ (extortion money).

The woman was sleeping when the accused arrived at her doorstep on Wednesday night.

“When her husband opened the door, he demanded ₹10000 as hafta. When his wife intervened, the man fired at her from his pistol critically wounding her in the stomach,” said a police official.

The woman was shifted to a local hospital in a fire tender as no ambulances were available.

However, she succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Also Read: Man shot dead in Gurugram’s Sadar Bazar, probe on

The woman’s husband said the youth was inebriated when he came to his house and threatened to kill him if he failed to pay him money.

“I told him about my helplessness. When my wife came in front of him and tried to intervene, he fired at her,” he said.

Police said the youth fled after committing the crime.

“Several cases have been lodged against the culprit earlier. He was jailed for around 2 years in a murder case in Lathore area of Bolangir. He was released from prison recently,” the police official said.

The father of the accused is a local gram rakhi.

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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