In a horrific incident, the city police on Tuesday retrieved the half-burnt bodies of a woman and her two-year-old son from a locked room of their rented house at Tinigharia under the Madhupatna police station. The woman was identified as one Meenakshi Dalai (28), who was staying with her husband ever since their marriage four years ago.
Detaining the woman’s husband laxman Dalai (30) of Puri district, the police began investigation into the case. “We are waiting for the postmortem report and the report of the scientific team,” informed local police inspector JK Dalai, adding that the father of the deceased woman has made a written complaint alleging that her daughter was tortured by her in-laws for dowry.
Neighbours pointed out that the couple was initially leading a peaceful life, but trouble began when each of the spouses’ parents started coming here. “Of late, the couple was seen quarrelling with each other over petty issues leading to marital discord,” neighbours said. Even Meenakshi on Tuesday morning had informed her mother over telephone that she was going to end her life.
Police, however, are investigating the case from every angle and yet to establish whether it was a case of homicide or suicide.