A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his 23-year-old wife, K Basanti Patra, and their two-year-old daughter, Debasmita, by releasing a venomous snake into their room, resulting in the deaths of the two, reported PTI.
The man has been identified as K Ganesh Patra, aged 25. The incident took place on October 6 in Adheigaon village in the Kabisurya Nagar area in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
According to a police officer, the accused was having marital discord with his wife. They previously faced issues leading to a complaint under the Dowry Prohibition Act, however, they later resumed living together for the past three months.
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Police said that he got the snake from a man whom he allegedly said that it was meant for religious purposes.
Ganjam SP Jagmohan Meena told The Indian Express, “He obtained a SIM card on his father’s name on September 26 and subsequently contacted local snake charmers, ostensibly for a snake worship ritual at a Lord Shiva temple.”
The accused concealed the snake at their residence, releasing it into the bedroom where Basanti and their daughter slept.
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Initially, the police registered the case as an unnatural death, but the investigation took a turn when the father-in-law of the deceased lodged a complaint, accusing Ganesh Patra of his involvement in the deaths.
Ganjam Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said that the accused was taken into custody a month after the incident, attributing the delay to evidence collection.
“During interrogation, he initially denied the allegation and later claimed that the snake might have entered the room on its own. But he confessed that he committed the crime,” the SP told PTI, adding that further investigation is underway.