Adopted Girl, 14, Murders Foster Mother With Help Of Two Boyfriends In Odisha
The crime came to light only recently after the woman’s brother, while checking the girl’s mobile phone, stumbled upon incriminating chat messages detailing the murder and theft of valuables.
BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking incident that has sent ripples across Odisha, a 14-year-old girl, abandoned as an infant and later adopted by a childless couple, has been detained for the brutal murder of her foster mother. The crime, orchestrated with the help of her two much older boyfriends, allegedly stemmed from the woman’s opposition to the girl’s relationships and a sinister plot to seize family valuables.
Police in Gajapati district arrested the two accused youths — Ganesh Rath (21) and Dinesh Sahu (20) — on Friday, weeks after the April 29 murder that had initially passed off as a natural death.
According to police, the deceased woman and her late husband had found the girl abandoned by the roadside in Bhubaneswar when she was barely three days old. Unable to conceive children of their own, the couple took the infant home, raising her as their own daughter. Tragedy struck early when the man died a year later, after which the woman relocated to Gajapati district to ensure her daughter’s education.
But in a cruel twist of fate, the same girl turned against her benefactor. Investigators revealed that the girl, a Class VIII student, had been in a relationship with Rath and Sahu, both significantly older. When the mother objected to the affairs, Rath allegedly manipulated the teenager, convincing her to eliminate the woman and take control of the family’s modest assets.
On the evening of April 29, the girl allegedly administered sleeping pills to her mother through medication. Once the woman fell unconscious, the girl summoned Rath and Sahu to their rented house, where the trio smothered the 54-year-old woman to death using pillows.
To cover up the crime, the girl and her accomplices rushed the body to a local hospital, claiming a cardiac arrest. As the deceased had a history of heart ailments, the death did not immediately raise suspicion. The girl then informed relatives in Bhubaneswar, who accepted the explanation without question.
The crime came to light only recently after the woman’s brother, while checking the girl’s mobile phone, stumbled upon incriminating chat messages detailing the murder and theft of valuables. The messages reportedly discussed stealing over 70 grams of gold jewellery and Rs 60,000 in cash from the house.
Acting on this information, the uncle lodged a formal complaint with Paralakhemundi police on Wednesday. “During investigation, we recovered three mobile phones, two pillows used in the crime, and about 30 grams of gold ornaments from the accused. We also discovered that Rath had pawned some of the stolen gold, raising around Rs 2.4 lakh to buy a motorcycle,” said Gajapati superintendent of police (SP) Jatindra Kumar Panda.
The girl has been sent to a juvenile home, while the two men are in judicial custody. Further investigations are underway to trace the remaining stolen assets and gather forensic evidence.
