The mutilated body of Satyabhama Behera (35) of Bolonga village in Basta area, who had gone missing since December 15, was recovered on Monday from the Coast Canal. The body was recovered after a fisherman noticed it. On the complaint lodged by the missing woman’s mother Hemalata Behera, the Singla police earlier had arrested her husband Purnchandra Mallick (42) of Sartha and his paramour Kabita (32). Hemalata had alleged that her daughter was tortured mentally and physically by her husband and paramour for dowry and other reasons.
Both accused were sent to jail following rejection of their bail pleas. Cases under Sections 302,304(b) and 201 of IPC were registered against them. While the body, which was almost reduced to skeleton, was fished out and identified by the deceased mother, the police suspected that Satyabhama, a mother of two daughters and a son, was burnt before throwing her body in the canal.
Satyabhama had married Purnchandra about 12 years ago. “Purnachandra secretly married Kabita. In order to get rid of Satyabhama, they killed her and threw her body in the canal,” Basta SDPO Gobinda Chandra Sethi said.