Man held for using snake to kill wife and daughter | Details Inside
PTC Web Desk: A 25-year-old man was arrested from Erhampur, Odisha, on Thursday for the suspected killing of his wife and two-year-old daughter by releasing a venomous snake into their room in Ganjam district, as confirmed by the police.
The tragic incident occurred over a month ago at Adheigaon village, situated within the jurisdiction of the Kabisurya Nagar police station, about 60 km from the city.
The accused, identified as K Ganesh Patra, reportedly had an ongoing marital conflict with his 23-year-old wife, K Basanti Patra. The couple had been married since 2020 and had a two-year-old daughter named Debasmita.
The accused allegedly acquired a snake from a local snake charmer under false pretenses, deceiving the charmer by claiming religious intentions for the reptile, said a police official.
On October 6, Patra brought a cobra in a plastic container and set it loose inside the room where his wife and daughter were sleeping. Tragically, both were found dead the next morning. Patra had slept in a separate room that night.
Initially treated as an unnatural death case, police investigations intensified after the victim's father filed an FIR, accusing Patra of murder, said Ganjam Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena.
Explaining the delay in the arrest, Meena stated, "The arrest occurred a month after the incident due to the time taken to collect substantial evidence against the accused. Initially, he refuted the allegations during interrogation but later confessed to the crime, claiming the snake might have entered the room by itself."
- With inputs from agencies
