Man Arrested for Allegedly Murdering Parents Over Ancestral Land Dispute in Odisha
A 38-year-old man has been arrested by the Lephirpada police in Odisha's Sundargarh district on charges of brutally killing his elderly parents. The tragic incident, which occurred two days prior to the arrest, stemmed from a violent dispute over the partition of ancestral land.
Details of the Fatal Confrontation
The victims, identified as Manuel Toppo (70) and his wife Benerika (65), were natives of Dalkijharan village under Lephripada police jurisdiction. The couple resided with their elder son, Patris, in Suarijor village. On Monday afternoon, their younger son, Patras Toppo, who lived separately with his own family, visited Patris's house and demanded that his parents divide their land.
When Manuel refused the partition request, Patras became enraged. In a fit of anger, he allegedly attacked his parents with an iron pipe, severely beating them. Following the assault, Patras, along with his elder brother, transported the critically injured parents to the Sundargarh district headquarters hospital.
Hospital Declaration and Police Investigation
Upon arrival at the hospital, a doctor declared Manuel and Benerika brought dead. After learning of his parents' demise, the accused, Patras, fled the hospital premises. The Lephripada police initiated an inquiry on Tuesday afternoon after reaching the hospital.
Based on a First Information Report (FIR), the police registered a murder case and launched a search operation for Patras. A forensic scientific team visited the house where the assault took place to collect evidence samples. The postmortem examination of the deceased couple was also conducted as part of the investigation.
Arrest and Seizure of Evidence
On Wednesday, a police team successfully apprehended the accused, Patras, from a forest area where he was hiding. Following his arrest, he was interrogated by the authorities. The police have seized the iron pipe allegedly used to beat the parents to death.
"We are further investigating the case," stated A K Das, the inspector in charge of the Lephripada police station, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the probe into this heinous crime.
