Six members of one family get life imprisonment in gruesome murder case

In a major verdict, the Additional Sessions Judge of Nabarangpur, Bishnu Prasad Mishra, on Wednesday, sentenced six members of a family, including a minor, to life imprisonment for their involvement in a brutal murder case dating back to August 9, 2022.

The case, registered under Kodinga Police Station Case No. 114/2022, charged the accused under sections 147, 148, 341, 447, 323, 325, 307, 302, and 149 of the IPC. The accused include Ananta Pujari (50), Siba Sankar Pujari (29), Chandan Pujari (24), Dumar Pujari (73), and Dalimba Pujari (45), all residents of Baramasi village in Nabarangpur district.

According to the prosecution, on August 9, 2022, the victim, Dambaru Pujari, and his family members were plucking beans in their field when the accused, armed with deadly weapons such as swords, axes, and iron bars, attacked them over a long-standing enmity. 

During the attack, Padlam Pujari suffered a fractured leg after being run over by a tractor, while Dambaru Pujari was stabbed multiple times and critically injured. Despite being rushed to SCBMCH, Cuttack, Dambaru succumbed to his injuries on August 16, 2022.

After a thorough investigation and prolonged trial, the court found the accused guilty of murder and other related offences. Along with life imprisonment under Section 302/149 IPC, they have been fined Rs 10,000 each, with additional rigorous imprisonment terms ranging from one month to seven years for other charges.

All the accused have been in custody since August 10, 2022, and the sentencing order was pronounced on September 3, 2025.