In a chilling incident, the Cuttack district police have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his 28-year-old wife following a bitter dispute over an extramarital affair, officials said.
The accused has been identified as Malay Kumar Samal, a resident of Bhatimunda village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Tangi police station in Cuttack district.
According to police sources on Sunday, Malay was working as a mason in the Balikuda area of Jagatsinghpur district when he met the victim, Banita Sethi, a couple of years ago.
Their initial acquaintance quickly blossomed into a romance and the two later got married at a local temple in Balikuda. After tying the knot, the newlyweds resided together in Jagatsinghpur for approximately two years.
Around one-and-a-half years ago, Malay brought Banita to move to Cuttack, under the pretext of introducing her to his parental family.
However, rather than taking her to his family home, he reportedly arranged for them to live in a rented accommodation within the Tangi police station limits.
During their stay there, Banita started working at a local private agency to help support the household financially.
Police stated that the couple’s marital bliss began to unravel in recent months after a distant female friend of Banita moved into their home. While she was staying with them, Malay allegedly struck up an extramarital relationship with the woman.
This infidelity triggered frequent and intense arguments between the husband and the wife, severely straining the household environment.
Investigators strongly suspect that the deteriorating relationship and the constant domestic friction ultimately culminated in the homicide.
According to police, Malay allegedly strangled Banita to death on Wednesday, packed her corpse into a gunny bag, and buried it near the banks of the Mendhakhai River to destroy evidence.
Following a complaint lodged by Banita’s family members on Saturday, the police detained Malay for interrogation.
During the intense questioning, Malay cracked and allegedly confessed to murdering his wife.
Guided by the suspect’s confession, police authorities exhumed Banita’s body from the riverbank on Sunday.
Suspecting that the victim’s female friend was an accomplice in the crime, the police have launched a manhunt to track her down and place her under arrest.
