Guesthouse cook held over murder of JSPL manager in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Rourkela: Lahunipara police today claimed to have solved the murder of Jindal Steel and Power Limited’s (JSPL) logistics manager Motiram Pal at the company guesthouse at Barasuan in Sundargarh district November 7.

The police have arrested the cook of the guesthouse, Sunil Tripathy, in connection with the incident.

According to police, Motiram had been mentally torturing Tripathy for last several months. Motiram had also threatened Tripathy to remove him from the job.

To settle the score, Tripathy had hatched a plot to attack Motiram during his sleeping hours and inflict injuries on him.  But, he did not have any motive to kill Motiram.

Acting upon his plan, Tripathy tried to attack Motiram while the latter was sleeping at the guesthouse in the intervening night of November 6 and 7. However, Tripathy could not execute his plan as Motiram woke up suddenly and a scuffle ensued between the two.

Tripathy killed Motiram with a sharp weapon once he realised that the latter had already seen his face during the scuffle.

Motiram’s body was recovered from the guesthouse in the morning of November 7. During investigation, the police had found a finger ring from the spot and detained Tripathy and another two in connection with the incident.

During interrogation, Tripathy confessed to the crime, said a police officer.