Woman, paramour arrested for ‘murdering husband’ in Odisha

In a disturbing case of betrayal and premeditated murder, a woman and her male friend were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing her husband in Keonjhar district.

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The victim, identified as Biranchi Narayan Mohanta, who belonged to Jadibila village under Thakurmunda police limits of Mayurbhanj district, was found dead about a week ago under suspicious circumstances near Saharapada Panchayat Samiti School, under Patana police limits in Keonjhar.

Police have now confirmed that Biranchi’s wife, Barsharani, and her paramour, Purendra Mahakud, from Kamaramara village, plotted and executed the ‘murder’ after the husband discovered their extramarital affair.

Barsha was earlier living with Biranchi in Bhubaneswar, where the cracks in their marriage had begun to surface. Frequent fights over her affair reportedly escalated, prompting Barsha to hatch a plan to eliminate her husband.

The accused woman had allegedly called her lover from Bhubaneswar, and together, they strangled Biranchi and dumped his body near the school to make it look like an accident.

Following a thorough investigation and scene recreation, police arrested both accused, who later confessed during interrogation. The couple was produced in court and formally charged with murder.

This gruesome crime has shocked the local community and raised concerns over increasing cases of relationship-driven violence.

“A dead body was previously found near a bush on the roadside at Saharapada. After it was identified as Biranchi Mohanta from Mayurbhanj’s Thakumunda, we had registered a U/d (unnatural death) case (No-28/2025) at Patana Police Station and initiated a detailed probe,” Ghatagaon SDPO, Bijaya Krushna Mohapatra, said in a presser.