Commissionerate Police cracked a five-year-old murder case of a senior citizen couple with the arrest of their housemaid and her husband.
An elderly couple, Srinath Samal (72) and his wife Bidyulata Samal (65) were found murdered in their home in Beleswar New Colony, Cuttack. The discovery was made after their daughter, who regularly checked on them, found her calls unanswered and alerted neighbours. Police found the bodies, and recovered a blood-stained knife and chopper at the crime scene and started probe. However, COVID-19 restrictions hampered the process for quite some time.
Despite continuous efforts, the case remained unsolved for five years. The family’s relentless pursuit of justice kept the police motivated to solve the case.
With Dr. Dev Dutta Singh becoming the Commissioner of Police, the case was prioritized and transferred to a new investigating officer, Manoj Satpathy.
A team was formed under ACP Manoj Satpathy, which included multiple officers and a special squad for gathering intelligence. The team re-examined all records, interrogated suspects, and analyzed call data records (CDR). They found a suspicious gap in the housemaid Basanti Samad’s call records during the incident.
The police cultivated sources and laid a trap for Santosh, the husband of Basanti, who eventually confessed to the crime. The motive behind the crime was the perceived mistreatment and foul language used by the deceased couple towards Basanti and Santosh. They planned the murder meticulously, the police
Based on statements, extra-judicial confession, CDR analysis, and interrogation, both Santosh and Basanti were arrested and forwarded to the court.
