An alcoholic man brutally murdered his 32-year-old wife with a fishing spear (tenta) after she refused to give him money received under the government’s Subhadra Yojana to purchase alcohol.
The horror unfolded late Saturday night in Jankoti Balarampur village under Jagatsinghpur Sadar police limits. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Badal alias Digambar Swain, and initiated a detailed investigation.
According to police sources, Badal returned home late at night in an inebriated state. After dinner, he demanded money from his wife, Pushpalata Swain, which she had received as financial assistance under the Subhadra Yojana. Knowing that he would spend it on liquor, Pushpalata refused, leading to a violent altercation.
Hearing Pushpalata’s screams as Badal began beating her severely, her mother-in-law, Manorama Swain, called out from outside and tried to intervene. However, Badal locked the door from the inside. In a fit of rage, he picked up a sharp fishing spear and pierced Pushpalata in the neck.
Alerted by the victim’s mother-in-law, neighbours rushed to the spot, broke open the door, and found Pushpalata lying in a pool of blood. She was immediately rushed to the Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital, where attending doctors declared her brought dead.
Following the assault, Badal attempted to die by suicide, but vigilant villagers caught him and handed him over to the police.
Local police arrived at the scene along with a scientific team to collect evidence and conduct a forensic analysis.
