Odisha woman teacher murder mystery solved, accused arrested

Khordha: Odisha police have arrested a person for allegedly killing Anjali Dehury, who was a teacher at an upper primary school, in Odisha’s Khurda district on January 4.

The arrested, identified as Kunu Jena (22) of Haridamada village here, had thrashed the woman to death a day after she witnessed an illicit affair between him and his sister-in-law. The deceased had warned him of disclosing the matter to his relatives including wife, police said.

“On January 4 at about 4 PM, Anjali Dehury of Kantabada village in the district, who was serving as a teacher at Ugratara Nodal Upper Primary School in Haripur, while returning from the school was assaulted by some unknown person at a paddy field resulting in her instant death at the spot,” a release of the Khordha police said.

“It was established that on January 3 afternoon, one Kunu Jena had visited his father-in-law’s house at Sabarpalli village in Badapokharia area. In the night after taking dinner, Anjali noticed accused Kunu Jena of having illicit affairs with his cousin unmarried sister-in-law on the verandah adjacent to her room. Anjali warned them to disclose the matter before the relatives including his wife. He approached Anjali not to disclose the matter before anyone but she didn’t agree,” the release said.

“On the next day morning, Anjali went to school and while returning home, taking the opportunity of lonely passage the assailant Kunu Jena procured a bamboo stick from nearby bamboo bushes and waited for a while. Finding her alone, he dealt blows on her head by the bamboo stick causing instant death,” it said.

“Apprehending danger of being blamed and exposed, he committed such gruesome murder. Soon after the occurence, the accused escaped to Surat evading police arrest. Police later arrested him on January 19 night from his village Haridamada,” the release added.