In a heart-wrenching incident from Rengali village under Barakot police limits in Deogarh district, a woman was brutally killed by her husband and later denied dignity in death by both her natal and marital families due to her inter-caste marriage.
The deceased, Sabita Mahanta, hailing from Tevapal village in Angul district, had entered into a love marriage with Bijay Nayak of Rengali village in 2009. Despite years of union, societal opposition rooted in caste differences persisted.
Reportedly, the couple had no children, which became a frequent source of dispute. On Wednesday evening, a heated altercation led Bijay to pour kerosene over Sabita and set her ablaze. She was rushed to hospitals in Pallahara, Keonjhar, and finally Cuttack, where she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday afternoon.
When her mortal remains reached the village on Friday evening after the post-mortem, both families refused to perform her last rites, citing her inter-caste marital status. Stepping into this moral void, the Barakot Police conducted the cremation with the help of officers, including Inspector Biranchi Nayak, Sanatan Nayak, Prakash Kumar Jena, Constable Prashant Kumar Bhoi, and Driver Haresh Kalo.
Later, Bijaya’s brother-in-law, Ishwar Nayak and nephew Sachin Nayak aided the police in completing the rituals after repeated appeals. The incident has sparked conversations around caste prejudices and societal responsibility in modern Odisha.
