The accused had allegedly procured a snake from a snake charmer, lying to him that he would use the reptile for religious purposes, a police officer said.
Berhampur, Odisha:
A 25-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly killing his wife and two-year-old daughter by releasing a venomous snake into their room in Odisha’s Ganjam district, police said.
The incident took place over a month-and-half ago in Adheigaon village in Kabisurya Nagar police station area, around 60 km from here.
K Ganesh Patra, the accused in the case, was embroiled in a marital dispute with his wife, K Basanti Patra, aged 23. The couple, married in 2020, had a two-year-old daughter named Debasmita.
The accused reportedly deceived a snake charmer, obtaining a snake under false pretenses by claiming it would be used for religious purposes, according to a police officer.
On October 6, Patra introduced a cobra into the room where his wife and daughter slept, resulting in their tragic deaths due to snake bites discovered the following morning. Meanwhile, the accused slept in a separate room. Initially classified as an unnatural death case, the police’s investigation shifted after the victim’s father filed an FIR, accusing Patra of murder, as confirmed by Ganjam Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena.
“The accused was arrested a month after the incident as there was some delay in gathering evidence against him. During interrogation, he initially denied the allegation and later claimed that the snake might have entered the room on its own but eventually confessed to committing the crime,” the SP said, adding further investigation is underway.
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