In a devastating turn of events, a relative of murdered woman constable Subhamitra Sahoo lost her life in a horrific train accident near Mancheswar railway station here on Thursday evening.
The incident, which unfolded mere days after Sahoo’s decomposed body was exhumed from a forest in Keonjhar district, has compounded the grief for the family, with Sahu’s brother-in-law now battling for survival in the hospital.
The victim, identified as Annapurna Patnaik (45), was crossing the railway tracks alongside her husband, Prafulla Patnaik (48), when they were struck by a fast-moving passenger train around 7:30 PM. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as the couple, residents of nearby Patia, attempted to shortcut across the tracks—a common but perilous practice in the densely populated area. Annapurna succumbed to her injuries at the spot, her body mangled beyond recognition, while Prafulla suffered severe head trauma and multiple fractures. He was rushed to Capital Hospital in critical condition.
The couple was returning from Puri, where they had performed the last rites of Subhamitra Sahu earlier in the day. Sahu, a 28-year-old constable attached to the Deputy Commissioner of Police’s office in Bhubaneswar, had gone missing on September 6 following a domestic dispute. Her body was discovered buried in a cement barrel deep in the Ghatagaon jungle, allegedly murdered by her husband, fellow constable Deepak Rout, and his cousin over a financial row linked to a hefty insurance policy. Rout, who had previously claimed a ₹1 crore payout after his first wife’s “accidental” death, confessed to strangling Sahu and transporting her remains over 200 km for burial. Both suspects remain in custody as investigations into possible insurance fraud deepen.
