A 57-year-old woman, Sudeshna Jena, has been arrested for the brutal murder of her landlord, Harihar Sahu, 72, by allegedly setting him on fire in a calculated attempt to acquire his property, according to police officials in Ganjam district, Odisha.
The shocking incident occurred early Thursday morning when Sahu, a retired revenue inspector, was asleep in his room. Police say Jena entered his room, poured kerosene, and set him ablaze. Sahu was first rushed to a hospital in Berhampur and later transferred to Cuttack, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Senior police officer Saravana Vivek M revealed that the two had been in a relationship for five years, and Jena, a widow, allegedly hatched the murder plot to claim Sahu’s properties.
To mislead investigators, Jena pretended to help rescue Sahu, involving neighbors in the process, and falsely claimed that two unknown persons were responsible. However, inconsistencies in her narrative raised suspicion. Investigators found that she had thrown the victim’s phone into the courtyard and disposed of the kerosene bottle in the fire to destroy evidence.
Police have arrested Jena on murder charges and are continuing to examine the property angle and other potential accomplices.
