Miscreants attack senior citizen couple in city, wife dies

BHUBANESWAR: In a serious incident, some unidentified miscreants killed an old woman and brutally attacked her husband by entering their house at Acharya Vihar under Saheednagar police station limit in the city on Thursday night. The critically injured old man is admitted in a hospital and his condition is critical, doctors said.

The couple was identified as retired superintendent engineer Kunjabihari Panigrahy and his wife Jyoshna Devi. The couple was living alone at their Acharya Vihar residence plot no-S3/134. On Thursday night, the miscreants entered into Panigrahy’s house and brutally attacked him near his dining table of the house. Following the attack on Panigrahy, the miscreants also attacked Jyoshna Devi and killed her by choking her throat with the help of a computer cable.

After the incident, Panigrahy was rushed to a private hospital. His condition is very critical and he was kept in the ventilator of the hospital. The police have started investigating into the matter by interrogating some youths suspecting their hands in the incident.

Though the motive behind the murder could not be ascertained, it is suspected that the miscreants had attacked the couple to steal the jewellery, money and valuables as the almirahs were opened and most of the valuables of the house scattered on the floor. The family members suspected that previous enmity might be the reason behind the unfortunate incident.

On the other hand, daughter of the couple Jyotirmayee Panigrahy alleged that the known persons are involved in the murder as her mother never allows unknown persons in her house. She suspected that some youths of a hostel close to his house might be aware about the incident, but hiding the incident, she said.

“We are investigating into the matter, the culprits would be arrested very soon,” said Saheednagar police station IIC KP Mishra.