In a barbaric incident a 45-year-old woman conspired to kill her brother, sister-in-law and nephew for a plot of land at Panchpandav village under Ghatshila police station area, late night of Sunday.
Those killed were identified as lalmohan Mahakud (42), wife leela Mahakud (37) and son Sonu 14, all residents of Panchpadav village.
The police have arrested the main accused, Padmavati Devi and a suspected assailant Sagar Kumar from separate places within few hours of the heinous crime. They also recovered weapons chopper and razor used in murder.
Superintendent of police (Rural) Rajiv Ranjan Singh said soon after the murder a police team rushed to the spot and found the bodies of the three lying in a pool of blood of the house of lalmohan.
“The incident is being investigated. However during initial probe only we suspected the hand of Padmavati behind these killings when she could not say why did the assailants left her with just minor injuries,” said the rural SP.
Singh said they had doubts in Padmavati’s statement that Suraj was one of the assailants; they traced his house at Naya Bazaar in Jugsalai. “While quizzing Suraj, we could know that Padmavati’s son, Bittu might be involved as he was seen along with his friend Sagar Kumar earlier in the evening,” said the rural SP.
Padmavati was produced before the media this afternoon. Facing the questions, the assailant revealed that she conspired the killing as her brother and others in the family used to abuse her and had locked her single room where she would stay behind the house of lalmohan.
Sagar claimed that he was not aware about the murder conspiracy. He said he had been to Ghatshila along with Bittu as he was told that he would have to attend a tribal festival on Saturday.
According the rural SP, Padmavati wanted to stop lalmohan from getting the plot of land registered in the name of lalmohan and laxmi Devi, widow of Sashank Shekhar and wanted to get a share of the property. She had conspired the triple murder for the land.
Both Padmavati and Sagar have been arrested under IPC Sections of conspiracy and murder, and were lodged at the Ghatshila sub-jail later on Monday. Two more assailants, identified as Bittu and Suresh Pathak have managed to abscond.