In a shocking case of familial betrayal, police arrested Narayan Sahoo (54) and his two sons—Kartik Sahoo (30) and Ramesh Sahoo (28)—for allegedly murdering Narayan’s 75-year-old widowed mother, Juli Sahoo, by staging a deliberate hit-and-run to grab her share of ancestral property.
The incident occurred on NH-16 near Singada village under Panikoili police station limits in Jajpur district. Juli Sahoo and her daughter Anita Sahoo (42) were returning home when a pick-up van rammed into them. Juli died on the spot, while Anita survived by jumping into a roadside ditch.
Initially treated as an accident, the case took a dramatic turn after Anita lodged an FIR, alleging that the vehicle was driven by Kartik Sahoo, and that the act was planned by Narayan Sahoo and his younger son Ramesh.
Investigating officer Sumit Kujur said evidence confirmed the collision was intentional. Police revealed that after the death of Juli’s husband Poina Sahoo last year, the property was jointly inherited by Juli, Narayan, and Anita. Narayan allegedly pressured his mother and sister to give up their shares, but both refused, prompting the crime.
All three accused were produced before a local court on Monday. Their bail pleas were rejected, and they were remanded to judicial custody.
