Odisha Man Set Ablaze By Father, Stepmother, And Stepbrother Over Property Dispute
According to police, Jyotiranjan—son from his father’s first marriage—gave two dying declarations at Athantara Community Hospital and later at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, naming his father Surendra Mathia, a retired policeman, along with his stepmother Prabhati Mathia and stepbrother Prashant Mathia as the perpetrators
Bhubaneswar: In a chilling case of family violence, a 42-year-old man in Odisha was allegedly set on fire by his father, stepmother, and stepbrother following a property dispute. The victim, identified as Jyotiranjan Mathia of Balipatna village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, succumbed to burn injuries on Saturday at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar.
According to police, Jyotiranjan—son from his father’s first marriage—gave two dying declarations at Athantara Community Hospital and later at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, naming his father Surendra Mathia, a retired policeman, along with his stepmother Prabhati Mathia and stepbrother Prashant Mathia as the perpetrators.
“They poured petrol on me and set me on fire. They did this over property issues. I have nothing in my name,” Jyotiranjan said in a recorded video statement now in police possession.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ACP) Abhimanyu Behera confirmed the arrests of all three accused. “The victim’s wife initially rescued him and admitted him to a local hospital. He was later shifted to AIIMS with 80 per cent burns but died this morning. The accused have been arrested and will be produced in court. We are investigating whether others were involved,” Behera said.
The victim’s wife Bijayalaxmi Mathia, in her formal complaint, alleged that some neighbours with an eye on the family’s property may have also conspired in the crime.
“They used to harass us constantly, which forced us to live in a rented house in the village. Just a few days ago, we returned to our own home. We never imagined they would go to such horrific lengths just to seize the family property,” she said.
Initially, police suspected suicide, but the case took a drastic turn after Jyotiranjan’s video testimony surfaced, directly implicating his father and stepfamily.
Neighbours recalled finding him badly burnt but conscious, pleading for help before being rushed to hospital. Despite doctors’ efforts, he could not survive.
The brutal killing has sparked shock in the area, with locals expressing disbelief over a family feud escalating to such a violent end.
