The Berhampur Police have arrested a 29-year-old man, Santanu Patra, from Karnataka for the murder of his paramour and brutal assault of her minor daughter in the Lochapada area of Berhampur, Odisha.
According to Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M, the accused was arrested on August 16 with the help of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at Wadi Railway Station in Karnataka.
On August 11, Chitrasen Swain reported that her sister, Gayatri Swain, was found murdered at her residence in Sreema Nagar, and Gayatri’s daughter Neelam was critically injured. A case was immediately registered, and an investigation launched.
Police investigations revealed that Gayatri had been in a relationship with the accused — who initially identified himself as Sunil Swain, but was later confirmed to be Santanu Patra (29) from Khantapada, Balasore district — since 2019 after connecting via Facebook.
Over the years, their relationship became intimate. Gayatri had eloped with him to Mumbai once and later helped him start a vegetable shop in Berhampur. However, due to recent tensions, she began avoiding him.
On August 10, after returning from her village with her daughter, Gayatri was confronted by the accused at night. Following a heated argument, Santanu Patra attacked Gayatri with a sharp weapon, killing her on the spot. He also assaulted Neelam, assuming she was dead.
Neelam survived and is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
CCTV footage from that night showed the accused entering Gayatri’s house around 9:45 PM and leaving after midnight. A special police team was formed to track him, eventually leading to his arrest in Karnataka.
Police have since confirmed that the accused had used a false identity (Sunil Swain) and had planned the murder following emotional rejection and humiliation.
