Odisha Murder Case: Woman Arrested for Harboring Suspect, Stolen Jewelry Recovered
A woman has been arrested in Bhubaneswar for harboring a suspect in a murder case and possessing stolen jewelry.
Bhubaneswar, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : In Bhubaneswar, Odisha, police apprehended a woman on Friday in connection with a murder case involving a 76-year-old woman. This incident occurred on the night of November 3 in the Laxmisagar area, where the elderly victim was killed by her caretaker.
The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Sabita Sethi, a resident of Chandapada village in the Puri district. Authorities recovered stolen gold and silver jewelry worth millions from her possession.
Speaking to reporters, Bhubaneswar’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sarvan Vivek M, confirmed, “The stolen jewelry has been seized from Sabita Sethi. She is connected to the main accused and has been taken into custody. She will be presented in court today.”
The primary suspect, Balabhadra Maharana, also known as Baliya, was arrested on November 10 in Surat and was brought back on transit remand. During questioning, he disclosed that he had given the stolen items to Sethi.
Sethi faces charges related to harboring a criminal and possessing stolen goods. She has close familial ties to Maharana and maintained contact with him even after the crime.
Police recovered two pairs of gold bangles, a gold chain with a locket, two gold rings, a pair of gold earrings, four gold-plated playing cards, and approximately 15 silver ornaments weighing nearly one kilogram. Additionally, they seized a Suzuki Access scooter registered in the name of the deceased woman’s husband.
Meanwhile, police are working to gather more information about the murder and robbery from Maharana, who remains on transit remand until November 16. Reports indicate that Maharana had been working as the caretaker for the victim, Kunjalata Nanda, for over five months following the death of her husband.
He is accused of killing the elderly woman out of greed, breaking into her safe, disabling CCTV cameras, and fleeing the scene. Initial investigations reveal that Maharana attempted to strangle the 70-year-old before delivering fatal blows to the back of her head when she resisted.
