Odisha court orders death penalty for murder of minor

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jajpur, Aug 28:

A court in Odisha today sentenced to death a person convicted of murdering a minor girl.

Hearing the case, additional district sessions judge Rohitlal Panda pronounced death penalty for the convict Banabihari alias Haria Behera (35) of Nipania (Ostapala) village under Tamka police station limits of Jajpur district.

As per the case records, Haria was in love with Biswakalpita Behera alias Reni (16), daughter of Banamali Behera of his village. But as she repeatedly rejected his advances, the enraged youth decided to take revenge.

The accused, on April 26 morning, was waiting behind a bush near Reni’s house with an axe. Finding Reni alone after her mother Rebati went out of the house, Haria tried to drag her out. Her mother, who was not far off, rushed to the spot and tried to resist Haria.

Soon after, Rebati called her husband and other family members who rushed to the spot and found a bleeding Reni lying naked on the ground and the accused hacking her neck, face and head with the axe. 

Later, the family members lodged a complaint with the Tamka police which later arrested Haria.

The court, after recording the statement of 21 witnesses including four eyewitnesses, pronounced the hanging order. 

Family members of deceased Biswakalpita have expressed their happiness over the pronouncement of death sentence for the convict.