Odisha Crime Branch arrests one more in Astaranga quadruple murder

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Astaranga, Oct 14:

Odisha Crime Branch today arrested one more person in connection with the quadruple murder in Dinadiyan village under Astaranga block of Puri.

The arrested man has been identified as Fakir Mallick. He is the brother-in-law (wife’s sister’s husband) of deceased family head Dinabandhu Mallick.

As per sources in Crime Branch, Fakir is the foster father of Himadri Sekhar Das, the prime accused in the quadruple murder. The investigating officers suspect him of getting the assailant couple acquainted with the slain family and have strong leads that point to his involvement in the crime.

Notably, in another development, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JFMC), Nimapara today allowed the Crime Branch to take accused Himadri Sekhar Das alias Rahim Khan and his wife Ayesha Begum on a further remand of six more days.

The court had earlier allowed the Crime Branch to take the couple on a four day remand which ended today. The Crime Branch had produced the accused couple before the JMFC Nimapara earlier on the day.

It may also be noted that the Himadri Sekhar Das and his wife Ayesha were arrested by the Crime Branch from Assam on October 9. Based on the interrogation, Crime Branch revealed that they had visited the deceased family’s place on several occasions before the fateful day.

On the day of the murder, the couple had visited deceased Dinabandhu’s house and had dinner with the family before going to sleep. Later in the night the couple had murdered all the four members of the family and had fled with valuables.

Mallick (68), a retired District Inspector (DI) of Schools, his wife Kumodini (50) and their two kid daughters were killed in a gruesome manner with their throats slit on the night of September 21. Two days later, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the murders.

The Crime Branch has also interrogated Mallick’s nephew, brothers, daughter and son-in-law in connection with the murders.