Chilling murder of woman in Cuttack: UPI trail leads police to accused husband

The Commissionerate Police on Sunday swiftly unravelled the chilling murder of a woman in Cuttack's Kandarpur, apprehending three suspects within just 30 hours of the crime.

The crime was said to be based on a long-standing marital dispute and alleged extramarital affair, according to the police.

The blood-soaked body of a woman was found on December 13, 2024, near the Kathajodi riverbed, causing widespread alarm. 

Since no missing persons' report had been filed, the police were initially unable to identify the victim. However, a crucial clue—a tailoring stitching number discovered at the crime scene—led investigators to Gujarat, where a UPI payment linked to the stitching order revealed critical details.

The Gujarat police gave vital leads as one of the accused could be identified and caught. Shortly after, another associate from Cuttack, a relative of the main accused, was apprehended. 

Related Story: Blood-soaked body of woman found on river bank in Cuttack, murder suspected

"This case sets a meticulous example of coordination between the Odisha and Gujarat police, as well as collaboration among various district police in Odisha and the community at large. We formed multiple teams to verify CCTV footage and reached out to neighbouring police stations and local residents for assistance," said Cuttack DCP Jagmohan Meena.

The main accused, the husband of the victim, was traced to Mahakalpada in Kendrapara district and arrested.

Police confirmed that the crime was pre-planned, in which there was a calculated conspiracy to murder the victim. 

Addressing a press meet, the Police Commissioner and Cuttack DCP said that the husband, with the help of his accomplices, carried out the murder to settle personal disputes.

“The murder case presented significant challenges due to the lack of leads. On December 13, a body was discovered, but there was no missing person complaint. Remarkably, the accused was identified early in the investigation, and he later confessed to the crime," S Dev Datta Singh, Commissioner of Police for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack said.

He further stated that despite the initial difficulties, the swift identification and confession of the accused played a crucial role in advancing the case.

This highly-planned operation points out the significance of inter-state coordination of police. The Commissionerate Police praised the joint efforts that led to the resolution of this gruesome murder case.

The suspects are in police custody while the police continue to carry out an investigation to uncover further details on the conspiracy.

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