Bhubaneswar, Nov 12 — The Commissionerate Police has cracked the sensational murder case of a 76-year-old elderly woman in the Laxmisagar area of the city with the arrest of her caretaker from Gujarat after a week-long, multi-state operation, police commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said on Thursday.
The accused was identified as Balabhadra Maharana alias Balia (40), a native of Tangi in Khordha district, who was residing at Titipa under Krushnaprasad police limits in Puri district. He was working as a caretaker at the residence of the deceased, Kunjalata Nanda, in the Laxmisagar area of Bhubaneswar for over five months after the death of her husband.
Addressing the media, the Police Commissioner said the accused murdered the elderly woman for financial gain and fled the spot after breaking open an almirah and disconnecting CCTV cameras installed inside the house.
Singh also stated that preliminary investigation revealed that accused Maharana first attempted to strangle the septuagenarian and subsequently inflicted fatal injuries on the back of her head when she resisted.
The incident came to light on the morning of November 4 when tenants residing in the same building alerted Nanda’s daughter, Samahita Nanda, after the elderly woman didn’t respond to their calls and her room was found locked from the inside.
Upon being informed, police officials arrived at the spot, forcibly opened the grill door, and found Nanda in a pool of blood near the dining table with severe assault injuries on her head. She was immediately rushed to Capital Hospital, where the doctors declared her dead. Based on a complaint lodged by her son-in-law, the Laxmisagar police registered a case (777/26) under Section 311 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the Commissionerate police, Maharana was hired through one of his relatives, Bidyadhara Maharana, who has worked as a domestic help for Nanda’s elder son, currently residing in the USA.
After committing the crime, the accused was deliberately evading arrest and was frequently changing his location and moving from one State to another. The police stated that the accused had visited Kolkata, Raipur, Panipat, Surat and other cities during this period.
A special team led by Laxmisagar police station traced him to Ahmedabad and subsequently moved to Surat following intelligence. With the assistance of Gujarat Police, the team intercepted a Delhi-bound bus in Vadodara district and apprehended Maharana.
Police have seized Rs 20,600 in cash, a gold locket, a gold finger ring, a pair of earrings, two mobile phones, a SIM card, and a diary from his possession.
The police said the accused has been brought to Bhubaneswar on transit remand, and further interrogation is underway to recover the remaining stolen valuables and the deceased's scooty, which he used to flee the house.