Five Individuals Arrested in Jajpur District for Alleged Murder of Husband
In a shocking case from Odisha, five people, including a woman and her lover, were arrested in Jajpur district on Monday. They face charges of murdering the woman's husband last Wednesday. The accused were produced before the Jajpur court, which subsequently remanded them to judicial custody, as confirmed by Superintendent of Police Yashpratap Shrimal.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The victim, Soumya Ranjan Samal, aged 23 and a resident of Kuansarpur under the Jajpur Town police station, was allegedly gunned down. The shooting occurred at Kalimegha Chowk, near the residence of former BJD MLA Pranab Prakash Das. According to police reports, the assailant, Tapan Khillar, aged 26, was on a motorcycle when he targeted Soumya.
After being shot, Soumya was initially rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Jajpur. Due to the severity of his injuries, doctors referred him to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where he tragically succumbed.
Investigation Unravels a Premeditated Plot
Superintendent of Police Shrimal stated that authorities examined footage from a nearby CCTV camera. The footage revealed that the accused, Tapan Khillar, chased Soumya Ranjan around 10:30 PM before gunning him down.
During the probe, police uncovered a complex extramarital affair and a meticulously planned murder. The deceased's wife, Subhashree Behera, aged 23 and owner of a beauty parlour on Jajpur Road, was found to be involved in an affair with Tapan. Tapan is the brother of Subhashree's friend, Pritiprava Priryadarshani Khilar, also aged 23.
Investigations revealed that last month, Tapan proposed to Subhashree, urging her to seek a divorce from her husband. Subhashree agreed, but her husband, Soumya, refused. Following this refusal, Tapan, Pritiprava, and Subhashree allegedly conspired to kill Soumya.
Execution of the Murder Plan
Tapan, who worked as a driver in Rourkela, had connections with local arms suppliers, Ankit Thakur and Suraj Singh, both aged 27. He purchased a gun from them to carry out the murder. Pritiprava facilitated the transaction by paying Rs 49,000 to Ankit and Suraj through her phone wallet on March 27.
After shooting Soumya, Tapan concealed the revolver in a bush behind Jajpur Medical College, as disclosed by SP Shrimal during a press briefing.
Evidence Seized and Legal Charges
Following the arrests, police seized critical evidence, including a country-made gun, a live bullet, a motorcycle, a helmet, and seven mobile phones. All five accused—Tapan and Pritiprava from Mirzapur village under Jajpur Sadar police station, Subhashree, and gun suppliers Suraj and Ankit—have been booked under multiple legal provisions.
The charges include Section 103 (murder) and Section 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions under the Arms Act. The case highlights a tragic outcome of personal conflicts escalating into criminal conspiracy.
