In a shocking turn of events in Odisha’s Gajapati district, a 13-year-old girl and two men have been arrested for allegedly murdering her adoptive mother, 54-year-old Rajalaxmi Kar. The woman had adopted the girl after rescuing her as a three-day-old infant from a roadside in Bhubaneswar.
According to police, the murder took place on April 29 at the family’s rented house in Paralakhemundi town. The girl, along with temple priest Ganesh Rath and local resident Dinesh Sahu, allegedly smothered Rajalaxmi to death. Authorities believe the motive behind the crime was Rajalaxmi’s opposition to the girl’s relationships with Rath and Sahu, as well as a desire to gain control of her property.
To cover their tracks, the accused initially claimed Rajalaxmi had died from a heart attack, a story that seemed plausible due to her history of heart disease. The following day, they cremated her body in Bhubaneswar, where some of Rajalaxmi’s relatives lived.
However, the truth came to light when the girl’s uncle found her hidden mobile phone in Bhubaneswar. The phone contained incriminating Instagram chat messages, detailing the plan to murder Rajalaxmi and loot over 70 grams of gold jewelry and Rs60,000 in cash.
Siba Prasad Mishra, Rajalaxmi’s brother, filed a police complaint, leading to an investigation that uncovered the grisly details. The three suspects — Rath, Sahu, and the adopted daughter — were arrested, and police recovered key evidence, including gold ornaments, two murder weapons (pillows), and three mobile phones containing incriminating messages.
Further investigation revealed that before the murder, the girl had handed over some of Rajalaxmi’s gold ornaments to Rath, who pawned them for Rs2.4 lakh. Rath reportedly used the money to buy a motorcycle and travel across the state.
Police have confirmed that the accused will face charges related to murder, theft, and conspiracy.
